NEIGHBOURS were lucky to escape alive yesterday after a devastating blaze engulfed the Cycle King store in Oxford’s Cowley Road.

Several residents were led to safety by firefighters as flames tore through the three-storey building early yesterday morning.

Eight fire engines and 70 firefighters raced to the scene at 7.30am.

Witnesses reported seeing the shop’s doors blown off and flames rising 15ft from the roof.

Incident commander Peter Cleary said: “Due to our swift actions and being here very quickly, nobody was hurt. “Clearly, if people had not woken up, or the smoke had percolated through the flats, it could, potentially, have killed people.”

Store manager Keith Gosling said “several hundred” bicycles were destroyed.

“We are all devastated at the loss of the building but, at the end of the day, it is just property,” he said. “The most important thing is that no-one was injured. Property can be replaced.”

Mr Gosling said he expected the shop, which was insured, to reopen, although no decision has yet been made.

He said: “We have always had full commitment to Oxford. I do not see that will change.”

Cycle King has been in the building for 13 years and, before that, in Walton Street for about 20 years.

Mr Cleary said the fire started in the showroom, but the shop was locked at the time and there was no sign of forced entry. Fire investigation teams will work to determine the cause.

Firefighters would be on scene until at least tomorrow.

St Mary’s Road resident Dr Tim Healing, 65, who was cycling past at 8.15am, said: “The doors blew out as I went past and a bout of smoke billowed across the road. “When I got back later the building was burning all the way through. There were 10 or 15ft flames coming out of the roof.”

Firefighters forced their way in to Greek restaurant Kalamata Taverna, to make sure the fire hadn’t spread.

Owner Sherko Zen-Aloush said: “I am shocked, but I am happy there was no human damage.”

The restaurant was likely to remain closed for at least 48 hours.