5 under arrest after Newcastle city centre fire
Police say the Central Motorway - which has been closed since Wednesday - will remain shut for now
Last updated 30th Jun 2023
The Central Motorway in Newcastle is set to remain closed into next week as police and partners continue to deal with the aftermath of a large city centre fire.
At about 6.45pm on Wednesday (June 28), emergency services received a report that a disused building in Carliol Square, Newcastle, was on fire.
Firefighters and blue-light colleagues worked tirelessly through the night to extinguish the blaze. Initial checks of the building were carried out to determine if anyone was inside and have so far proved negative.
However, with the fire having severely impacted the structural integrity of the building, the northbound carriage of the Central Motorway will remain closed.
Police are treating the cause of the fire as suspected arson at this time, and five people have been arrested as part of the ongoing investigation.
Superintendent Neil Armsworth from Northumbria Police said: “This has been a complex operation and it has been a tremendous team effort by all our emergency service colleagues and Newcastle City Council to extinguish the blaze and ensure the safety of the public.
“The fire has severely impacted the structural integrity of the building and so it remains unsafe to re-open the Central Motorway Northbound at present. We do anticipate the closure will continue into the middle of next week.
“This is so the building can be made safe enough for us to conduct a more detailed search and be satisfied that no one is inside.
“I would like to stress that this decision has not been taken lightly, but we cannot risk any debris falling onto the carriageway and causing catastrophic injuries to drivers.
“Diversions remain in place, and we encourage everyone to research their journeys before setting off – allowing extra time to get to your destination.
“We know this is unwelcome news and will have an impact on many people’s weekend plans and we thank you for your ongoing patience and cooperation.”
On the live investigation into the cause of the fire, Supt Armsworth added: “We are determined to establish exactly what happened and have been working around the clock with the support of our partners.
A Newcastle City Council spokesperson said: “We understand that that the closure of the Northbound section of the Central Motorway is causing delays for commuters in and out of the city, however our priority is public safety and the road needs to remain closed until we are confident the site poses no risk to the public.
“Our thanks go to Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue for their swift response to deal with the fire on Wednesday evening and also to Northumbria Police for their support in managing the site and the surrounding area.
“We are working closely with both the police and the building owner to secure the structure of the building in order for the road to be fully opened as soon as possible.
“We would like to thank the public for their continued understanding. We are all working as quickly as possible to make the area safe to allow for the road to be re-opened.”
Group Manager Phil Sowerby, of Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (TWFRS), said: “Our operation at the site of the fire has now concluded and our role is to support Northumbria Police with their investigation into the circumstances around the fire.
“The initial closure of the Central Motorway was vital to allow us to tackle the fire from all angles and bring it under control. We want to thank our partners for facilitating that and the public for their understanding.
“We will continue to support our partners with their investigations but any decision that is made will be done so with the safety of the public as the number one priority.”
Great North 10K information:
Statement from the Great Run Company: AJ Bell Great North 10K
"We’re aware that a fire in Carliol Square on Wednesday has resulted in the closure of the Northbound carriageway of the A167 Central Motorway, which forms part of the AJ Bell Great North 10k route.
"As a result of the continued road closure, we are announcing a small change to the event route, however it will remain a 10km distance.
"We would like to thank the emergency services and Newcastle City Council for their support in ensuring the event can go ahead as planned.
"We’re still looking forward to a fantastic event on Sunday with over 4,500 runners set to take on the challenge and experience a route that features some of Newcastle’s most iconic landmarks."
Route change:
There is a small change to this Sunday’s AJ Bell Great North 10k route, due to the closure of the Northbound carriageway of the A167 Central Motorway. After running through the Southbound tunnel under 55 Degrees North runners will cross the Tyne Bridge on the Northbound carriageway, they will turn anti-clockwise and cross back over on the Southbound Carriageway, taking the slip road on to Manors roundabout before re-joining the original planned route on Market Street. The event will remain a 10km distance.