PEOPLE were evacuated from their homes during a ‘terrifying’ shop fire.

Four fire crews were called to the Day N Nite convenience store in Barnes Street, Clayton-le-Moors, at around midnight yesterday.

Eyewitnesses said smoke could be seen billowing out of the shop and windows of the house above.

Stock inside the shop was damaged and there were remains of burnt items in the back garden.

Scorch marks could be seen by the upper floor windows.

A fire service spokesman said those living above the shop and in a neighbouring house had to be evacuated.

One Barnes Street resident said she woke up to the smell of burning and heard a loud grinding noise.

She said: “I looked out the window and saw the firefighters cutting their way into the shop.

“When they got in there was a big plume of smoke coming out of the door.

“The police were there, there were lots of blue flashing lights, it was terrifying.”

Two police cars remained on site in the morning and police cordoned off the entrances to the building. Another resident said: “I saw the people getting evacuated.

“There was just so much smoke.”

A fire service spokesman said the cause of the fire was under investigation.

He said: “The shop has been badly damaged, there was thick smoke coming out of the back windows too.

“The whole building suffered smoke and heat damage.

“Residents upstairs in the flat and in a neighbouring house were evacuated for their safety.

“The flat upstairs was also damaged by smoke.

“We are currently investigating the fire and we are not sure whether the fire was started inside the shop or outside.

“We have a multi agency operation with the police investigating the cause of the fire.

“The fire investigation team were to return to the shop at 10am yesterday for more investigative work.”