SHOPPERS had to be evacuated after a fire broke out at a Southampton shopping centre this afternoon.

Kitchen staff in one of the restaurants in West Quay Shopping Centre's food court reported the fire after it began at an indoor grill at 5.15pm.

As a result emrergency services were alerted and Saturday afternoon shoppers told to leave the complex.

Fire crews from across the city were despatched to the scene but the blaze was out upon arrival.

A spokesman for Hamsphire Fire and Rescue Service said:  “Because of its location in a food court in West Quay we had an automatic response and we had quite a few pumps sent to the scene."