Five people rushed to hospital following restaurant fire, as Met investigate suspected arson

Paramedics and firefighters were alerted to the incident on Woodford Avenue in Gants Hill at about 9pm on Friday, August 22.

Five people were rescued from the restaurant and taken to hospital, while nine others were able to escape beforehand, according to the London Fire Brigade. Part of the ground floor was damaged as a result of the blaze.

The cause of the fire is being investigated, with the Metropolitan police treating the incident as a suspected arson attack.

One local resident said he saw a man whose skin was "peeling off" after stepping outside his nearby home to see if he could help.

Hospital porter Edward Thawe, 43, and his 12-year-old son said they could hear screaming from their property, describing the scene as "more than scary" and "the sort of thing that you don't want to look at twice".

"I heard screaming and people saying they had called the police. I came outside (the shop) and there was a man with his skin peeled off," said Thawe.

"His skin was burnt. I did not want to look at it."

He said he thought the man, and a woman who was also outside, may have been customers.

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Uniformed officers guarded the police cordon that was in place on Saturday as forensic officers in protective clothing examined the scene. The taped cordon stretched from outside the shop on local high street, which faces on to a busy main road, and on to the pavement.

No arrests have been made at this stage.

Detective Chief Inspector Mark Rogers, of the Met’s Central Specialist Crime North unit said: “We understand this incident will cause concern within the community. My team of specialist detectives are working at speed to piece the incident together.

“Locals can expect to see a large police presence in the area. If you have any concerns, please speak to those officers on the ground.”

Ilford North MP Wes Streeting, who is also Health Secretary, posted on X about the incident, saying: “Huge thanks to @‌metpoliceuk @londonfire @‌Ldn_Ambulance for their response to a serious incident on Gants Hill/Woodford Avenue this evening.

“Please avoid the area for now. Further updates will follow from @‌RedbridgeLive and emergency services.”

A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “We were called at 9.04pm yesterday to reports of a fire on Woodford Avenue, Ilford.

"We sent resources to the scene, including ambulance crews, an advanced paramedic, an incident response officer and paramedics from our hazardous area response team. We also dispatched a trauma team in a car from London’s Air Ambulance.

"We treated five people for burns and smoke inhalation. We took two patients to a major trauma centre and three others to local hospitals."

A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: “We were called at 9.02pm to reports of a fire at a restaurant on Woodford Avenue in Gants Hill.

"Part of the ground floor restaurant was damaged by fire. Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus rescued five people from the restaurant. They were all taken to hospital by London Ambulance Service. Around nine further people were able to leave the restaurant before firefighters arrived.

“The brigade’s control officers received seven calls about the fire and mobilised crews from Ilford, Hainault, Leytonstone and Woodford fire stations to the scene. The fire was extinguished by 10.32pm.

“The cause of the fire is being investigated by the brigade and the Metropolitan Police Service.”

Anyone with information about the fire is urged to contact the Met via 101, quoting 7559/22AUG. If you wish to remain anonymous, please speak with Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.