Major fire breaks out in central Glasgow as residents urged to shut their windows

Firefighters are currently tacking a large blaze in Glasgow after a fire broke out, as residents are being urged to keep their windows closed.

Large plumes of smoke can be seen in Kingston Street, in the Tradeston area of the city - near the Barclays bank building of the River Clyde.

There are currently no reports of any injuries.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service were called to reports of the flames engulfing the building at around 9.55am this morning.

Eight appliances - including six pumps and aerial equipment - are currently in attendance as crews are fighting hard to stop the fire.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said it received a call at 9.55am on Sunday about a blaze on Kingston Street (Twitter)

Several fire engines and an aerial appliance are currently at the scene (Twitter)

Video footage has been shared on social media of the scene, right by the police tapes, which shows white smoke filling the sky across the city centre.

Another angle, filmed from a train, shows the clouds of smoke rising high into the sky.

Local diversions are currently in place, as Police Scotland have been forced to close surrounding roads. Kingston Street is closed to all traffic from West Street to Commerce Street due to the fire.

Drivers are being asked to avoid the area where possible, and seek alternative routes to their destinations.

Police have also advised the public to close their windows, and not to gather near the incident due to high levels of smoke in the area.

The fire can be seen from seven miles away, as residents have been urged to close their windows and avoid the area (Alamy Live News.)

An eyewitness at the scene told Glasgow Live : "I just got up and was shocked to see this much smoke and a fire near the Barclays building.

"It was started slowly and peaked within five minutes. There were no sign of the fire engines for the first 20 minutes but they have been here since."

Others also reported a smell of burning plastic around the city centre, as many people were forced to cover their mouths while passing through the thick smoke.

A spokesperson for the Scottish Fire and Rescue service said: "We received a call at 9.55am this morning to reports of a building fire.

"There are four appliances in attendance. The fire is ongoing."

And Police Scotland said in a statement: "Due to a fire in Kingston Street, near the junction with Centre Street, a number of roads in the area are closed.

"Local diversions are in place. We are advising people to keep their windows closed due to the smoke and not to gather on the street. SFRS are dealing with the fire."