A fire in a high street nail shop led to the evacuation of 20 people from nearby flats after a lamp supposedly caught alight.

Fire crews attended the scene at Jennifer’s Nails in Church Road, Stanmore, after a passer-by spotted smoke coming from the shop at around 8.50pm on January 15.

A small part of the shop was damaged, though nobody was injured. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

The blaze was under control within an hour following work from four fire engines and 21 firefighters from Stanmore, Mill Hill and Harrow stations.

It is believed to have been started by a nail lamp, which had been accidentally left on when the salon closed for the day.

“Our advice is always to switch electrical equipment off, especially items that get very hot, like this lamp,” a spokesperson from the London Fire Brigade said.