The Old Bailey was evacuated after a fire involving an electrical substation broke out this morning. No date has yet been set for the premises to reopen, following speculation that courts business could resume as early as tomorrow.

London Fire Brigade said four fire engines and around 25 firefighters are responding to the incident on Warwick Lane, near the rear of the Old Bailey.

Firefighters were called to the incident at 10.44am. The LFB says the cause of the fire is not yet known.

Due to a road closure behind the Old Bailey, some of the defendants evacuated were taken onto a Serco van parked on the road near the front of the court building under the observation of security and City of London police.

The BBC journalist Nick Johnson posted on social media site X: 'Black acrid smoke coming from rear of Central Criminal Court, Old Bailey – lights flickered inside before it was evacuated – firefighter says fire in section of building where electrical substation sits.'

Defendants in custody cells have been returned to prison and juries have been sent home.

***3PM UPDATE from the Criminal Bar Association

Barristers told to be on standby for returning to court Thursday. Court staff sceptical of full safe reopening until Monday 12 February. With thanks to @cityoflondon for their hard work and care in keeping us safe. Main electrical power explosion and outage supplying the modern 1970s wing has cut power to other networks in the building. Safety checks ongoing.

Some £3m has been earmarked to tackle a backlog of ‘decorative and building improvement works’ at the Old Bailey, as part of wider City of London efforts to address maintenance issues across its estate. The condition of the building was raised during a Court of Common Council meeting earlier this year, when Alderman Timothy Hailes described the stonework as in an 'advanced state of decay'.

In December, a passer-by was hospitalised after masonry over the 'decaying' historic entrance to the Bailey fell on to the pavement.

 

Times writer David Brown shared the below on X:

Old Bailey fire

Firefighters are responding to the incident on Warwick Lane

Source: Bianca Castro

 

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