Fire engines rush to migrant hotel in Canary Wharf amid fears of blaze

Reports initially suggested a fire had broken out on the 7th floor of the hotel.

Other reportrs suggested the cause was an electrical fire.

A London Fire Brigade spokesman said: "Firefighters are currently responding to an incident at a hotel on Marsh Wall, Tower Hamlets.

"Crews are currently carrying out a systematic search of the building for signs of fire.

"The Brigade was first called about the incident at 1650, and crews from Millwall, Poplar, Whitechapel and surrounding fire stations have been sent to the scene."

However, shortly afterwards, a London Fire Brigade spokesman told the Daily Express the callout was a false alarm.

They said: "Firefighters responded to reports of a possible fire at a hotel on Marsh Wall, Tower Hamlets.

"Crews carried out a systematic search of the building for signs of fire, and none were discovered.

"The Brigade was first called about the incident at 1650, and crews from Millwall, Poplar, Whitechapel and surrounding fire stations were sent to the scene.

"The incident was over for crews by 1835."

According to locals at the scene, at least seven fire engines responded to the incident.

The hotel, which overlooks the River Thames and the Canary Wharf business district, has approximately 581 guest rooms.

It became the centre of protests in recent weeks after the site was earmarked for use as asylum accommodation by the Home Office over the summer.

On September 5, masked demonstrators clashed with officers amid claims that force was deliberately used against women and a child.

Footage showed dozens of demonstrators, some wearing masks, physically clashing with officers as tensions escalated in a nearby shopping centre.

In the footage, an officer was heard repeatedly saying “get back” before using pepper spray towards a protester.

Scotland Yard said: “Sadly, last weekend we saw a minority cross the line into criminality, including unacceptable aggression directed at officers.

“In one incident, masked men confronted officers inside a shopping centre in Canary Wharf, officers had to use force – including Pava spray – to protect themselves.

“There has been commentary on social media about this incident, with some claims that officers intentionally directed that force towards women and a child. These claims are not true.

“We are making video footage available to provide an insight into the challenging situation they faced.”

Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter