A FIRE has broken out at a restaurant in Hampshire.

Firefighters were called to Burger King in Hedge End at 1.31pm yesterday and sent crews from Wickham, Eastleigh and Romsey.

The restaurant was evacuated immediately after the blaze broke out.

Customers fled the building and the terrace outside, leaving half-eaten meals on the tables.

Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service sent three appliances to the scene as thick black smoke started billowing from the roof.

The incident commander, crew manager Chris Norgate, said: "The fire involved a range in the kitchen and the air extraction system.

"We extinguished the fire and then removed the ceiling panels to make sure that the aid extraction system was cooling down and there was no risk of the fire spreading.

"The fire caused relatively little damage because it was contained inside a big metal tube, but there's hot oil all over the floor.

"The building will have to be brought back up to commercial grade before it can be reopened."