EMERGENCY services cordoned off a busy city centre street as they tackled a lift fire.

Firefighters rushed to the high rise fire on Commercial Road, Southampton this afternoon, with six engines and an aerial platform on the scene.

Hampshire Fire and Rescue confirmed the blaze was in a life motor room on the fifth floor of a building but had since been extinguished.

Units from Totton, St Marys, Redbridge and Hightown fire stations were all in attendance.

Watch manager Tim Harrison said: "We were called because black smoke was seen coming from the roof of the building.

"When we arrived we had to request more firefighters and the aerial ladder platform. They had to get through some difficult spaces as it was actually a fire in the lift control room at the top of the building.

"When they reached it, they managed to extinguish the fire quite quickly."

More than 30 firefighters were present and at first they believed that it was the Encore pub which was on fire.

But, smoke was actually pouring from a building opposite on Wyndham Court.