A dramatic blaze which tore through a building site in London's West End, prompting fears of an explosion, has been brought under control by firefighters.

London Fire Brigade (LFB) said 72 firefighters and officers were sent to Great Portland Street, near Oxford Street and BBC headquarters, following reports of a fire at 12.45pm.

Firefighters fearing a potential explosion set up an emergency exclusion zone after learning gas cylinders are involved in the blaze, LFB said, but no-one was injured.

A column of acrid black smoke could be seen rising from the fire in pictures posted on social media, apparently visible from miles away against the blue afternoon skyline.

A vast blaze has broken out at a building site in the heart of central London with 50 firefighters on the scene

A column of acrid black smoke could be seen rising from the fire in pictures posted on social media, apparently visible from miles away against the blue afternoon skyline

The building had been under refurbishment, the LFB said, with neighbours reporting that it was being converted into flats by developers.

The fire service wrote on Twitter: 'The Great Portland Street fire is in a building under refurbishment.

'There are a number of gas cylinders involved in the blaze.

'A exclusion zone of 25 metres has been set up, as a precaution, as some cylinders can explode when exposed to heat.'

Police were on the scene and told the public to avoid the area if possible, with ten fire engines dispatched to battle the flames.

Firefighters fearing a potential explosion have set up an emergency exclusion zone after learning gas cylinders are involved in the blaze, LFB said

Footage of the scene showed thick smoke and flames leaping up a scaffold structure surrounding the site.

No-one was injured in the fire, Scotland Yard confirmed.

A spokesman for the LFB said the fire was officially declared under control at 1.45pm.

The road is close to Oxford Street - the capital's busiest shopping hub - and the BBC's headquarters.

The building site used to be the home of Bus Stop clothing. David Edward Hughes, inventor of the microphone, lived and worked there.