Shoppers were evacuated from atria Watford as firefighters tackled a fire.

At around 9.20am today (March 4), Herts Fire and Rescue attended the scene to deal a blaze in a storage compactor within the shopping centre.

The alarms sounded, in the side of the centre north of Queens Road, shutters went down for some shops and doors were taped up, according to those at the scene.

Watford Observer: Evacuated shoppers outside M&S.Evacuated shoppers outside M&S. (Image: Bev Cassidy)

Customers and store staff were evacuated and were stood outside in Queens Road and High Street while they waited for it to be reopened.

Businesses in the other part of atria Watford were able to continue operating as normal.

Watford Observer: Evacuated shoppers outside M&S.Evacuated shoppers outside M&S. (Image: Bev Cassidy)

As of around 10am, shoppers have been able to go back into the previously closed section, and staff are reopening closed shops.

An atria spokesperson said: “We can confirm that part of atria Watford was temporarily evacuated this morning - for approximately one hour - as a precaution, following the outbreak of a small fire in the basement of the centre.

"Our team acted swiftly, the fire was quickly extinguished and we are now re-open as usual.”

Update: Herts Fire and Rescue confirmed both its Watford Fire Station crews and its Garston crew were called to the scene of the trash compactor fire.

It added: "Crews used a winch to move a storage unit for access; 2 breathing apparatuses, a hose reel and a fog spike were used.

"Ventilation was in use as some units in the centre had smoke logging."