Firefighters are tackling a blaze at the Christie Hospital in Manchester.

Crews were called at 10.36am after fire broke out in a three-storey building housing offices and laboratories at the front of the hospital complex on Wilmslow Road in south Manchester.

Five fire engines and an aerial ladder are at the scene and firefighters are wearing breathing apparatus and using jets and hose reels to extinguish the blaze, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service said.

It is understood no patients or operations have been affected, as the fire is centred on the Paterson Building, which houses laboratories conducting cancer research, though no one from the hospital was available for comment.

The Christie is one of Europe's leading cancer treatment hospitals treating hundreds of patients each day.

A spokeswoman for The Christie confirmed no staff or patients have been affected by the fire.

She said: "All the associated areas have been evacuated, including any patient areas.

"The fire service is on site.

"For staff and patients, if they have not already been evacuated they need to carry on as normal.

"Any patients who are attending for treatment need to attend as normal and access the hospital via the Palatine Road entrance."

The fire is believed to have started in the roof of the Paterson Building, which is a cancer research institute, run jointly by the University of Manchester and Cancer Research UK.

An updated statement from the fire service said another fire engine was being sent to the scene.

GMFRS said: "Crews are working hard to tackle a fire involving the first floor plant room and roof space of the Cancer Research UK Institute Manchester building on the hospital site.

"The affected building has been safely evacuated and other office buildings nearby have also been evacuated.

"Currently, no buildings containing patients are being evacuated.

"An additional fire engine has been sent to the scene."

Firefighters are tackling the blaze well at The Christie #christiehospita pic.twitter.com/gSdatcfgTN

— Manchester Fire (@manchesterfire) April 26, 2017

A spokesman for the University of Manchester said: "The fire service was called to an incident at The Paterson Building on Wilmslow Road at 10.36 this morning.

"Everyone has been evacuated safely from the building and the university is supporting the emergency services in managing the incident."

A hospital worker based at the other end of the building said staff were told to evacuate at around 10.30am on Wednesday morning.

Picture by Aaron Eastwood of the fire taken from Cotton Hill in Withington

The Bolton News:

"We came outside and saw massive amounts of smoke," said the staff member, who asked not to be named.

"Apparently it started on the roof and then spread inside," he added. "We've been told we can go back in in the next few hours but it doesn't look like we'll be able to by the look of things."