Historic London church destroyed overnight in large blaze

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St Mark’s church, a Grade II listed church in north-west London has been destroyed in a fire overnight. London Fire Brigade (LFB) said that 80 firefighters attended the church in Hamilton Terrace in St John’s Wood after a call at 23:19 GMT on Thursday.

The fire brigade said there were no reports of injuries and the cause of the fire, which is under control, is not known. Westminster City Council said there would be local road closures until late morning, but all residents were “safe and accounted for”.

More than 10 fire engines were reportedly deployed to the scene, with crews from North Kensington, Paddington and West Hampstead working to put out the flames. Firefighters used three ladders to spray water onto the building, including two 34m (111 ft) ladders and one 64m (209 ft) ladder that is the tallest of its kind in Europe.

LFB said investigators were working to discover the cause of the blaze.

The National Churches Trust has described St Mark’s as an “architectural and historical treasure”. The Victorian church, which is more than 150 years old, has links to author Lewis Carroll and Queen Victoria’s son Prince Leopold and is situated near Abbey Road Studios and Lord’s Cricket Ground.

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