EIGHT fire crews including firefighters from Barrow and Ulverston have been praised for their brave actions in tackling a fire in a storeroom at a shopping centre in Kendal.

Up to 40 firefighters and officers were called out at around 8am this morning to reports of a fire at the Westmorland Shopping Centre in Kendal. Fire engines from Barrow and Ulverston were at the scene, with Walney's on-call crew manning the station in Barrow. The shopping centre was evacuated.

Stricklandgate, from the junction at Library Road to the junction of Sandes Avenue, was closed to traffic and has since been reopened.

At 10am, Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service said the fire had been put out and fans were being used to remove the smoke. Fire crews from Kendal, Staveley, Sedburgh, Kirkby Lonsdale and Milnthorpe also attended as well as the aerial ladder platform from Barrow.

Cumbria’s chief fire officer Paul Hancock said: “This was a major incident and crews responded admirably to a dangerous situation. It’s to their credit that the fire was quickly brought under control. We will continue to monitor the situation and will be conducting a follow up investigation to determine the cause.”