A woman has claimed she could 'see Jesus' in the flames which devastated Paris's Notre Dame cathedral.

The fire broke out at the 850-year-old Gothic building at around 7pm local time on Monday evening, April 15, in the French capital.

Shocked Parisians and millions of people across the world watched in horror as the flames engulfed the cultural and historic "epicentre" and watched the buildings spire crash to the ground.

First pictures from inside the iconic structure showed the impact of the fire with blackened walls and floors and remains scattered across the ground but many spotted a glimmer of hope inside the building as the cross above the alter remained firmly intact.

Now, Lesley Rowan, from Alexandria in West Dunbartonshire, believes she can see the silhouette of the son of God in one of the pictures of the blaze taking hold of the cathedral.

The 38-year-old told the Daily Record : "When I looked at this photo last night, I was really astounded by what I saw.

"When I look at it I see a silhouette of Jesus. I really see a vivid image.

"I shared it and asked for people's opinions - even my brother in Australia said it looks like Jesus.

"I feel like it will bring comfort to people in Paris and all over the world at this sad time."

(Image: Philippe Wojazer/Pool via AP)

The 38-year-old has since been flooded with messages from friends and family who agree that they can see an outline which resembles Jesus.

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Around 400 firefighters worked for more than 12 hours through the night in a battle to stop the complete destruction of the treasured facade.

The fire was confirmed by French firefighters to be 'fully extinguished' mid-morning local time on Tuesday and despite initial fears that the whole building was in danger of being engulfed, many of the most treasured items stored inside the cathedral have been saved.

French president Emmanuel Macron has set a five-year deadline to restore the 12th-century landmark as donations pour in from around the world.