Forest Gate estate agents Portico gutted in fire after car ploughs into shop front

An estate agents was destroyed in a fire after a car ploughed into the shop front in an early morning crash.

The car smashed through the glass windows of Portico estate agent in Forest Gate at just after 5.40am on Saturday.

It burst into flames and the blaze quickly ripped through the shop.

Four fire engines and 21 firefighters from Stratford, Leytonstone, Plaistow and Leyton rushed to the scene in Woodgrange Road and tackled the blaze for just over an hour.

The entire ground floor was gutted in the fire and part of the first floor was also damaged.

According to the London Fire Brigade, the blaze was caused by “the ignition of petrol vapour from an electrical spark due to the collision damage to the car”.

The road was partially closed while emergency services dealt with the incident.