HUNDREDS of shoppers and staff were evacuated from the Market Place after a fire broke out in the basement.

Firefighters were called to the town centre shopping centre at 11.35am this morning after a spark from a saw set fire to polystyrene blocks.

Crews from Bolton Central, Bolton North and Horwich spent more than an hour dealing with the incident while several hundred shoppers and staff were evacuated.

Bolton Central watch manager Karsten Boyle said: “We received a call shortly after 11.30am to reports smoke was coming from the basement.

“When we arrived at the Market Place loading bay, which is the entrance to where work on the new vaults area is being done, we could see a lot of smoke.

“Four firefighters in breathing apparatus went into the basement and discovered some polystyrene blocks, which were being used to construct flooring, were still smouldering.

“Sparks from a cutting saw had ignited the blocks.”

It is a likely a health and safety investigation into the cause of the fire will now be conducted by shopping centre bosses and the building firm in charge of the work.

Nikki Wilson Cooke, centre manager, said that the fire had broke out due to a spark taking hold as part of development work in the basement.

She said: "It was a small fire which was limited to the basement, there was some smoke but it could not be seen in the shopping centre itself.

"Shoppers were evacuated quickly and our staff handled it very well. We were shut for about 45 minutes."