SMOKE billowed from the public toilets in Bicester as firefighters were faced with a fire inside.

Crews were called to the smoke-logged lavatories in Manorsfield Road on Friday evening as smoke poured from the windows.

The fire, which happened about 6.20pm, meant the Bicester Fire Service had to be supported by crews from Kidlington and Oxford to deal with it.

The area, which is connected to the Pioneer Square shopping area, was cornered off to shoppers for a number of hours whilst crews dealt with the fire.

The toilets sit at the back of the Pioneer Square development on the ground floor, which is connected to a number of restaurants and the Sainsbury's multi-storey car park.

Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, in Bicester, posted online: "Crews from Bicester, supported by colleagues from Kidlington and Oxford, dealt with a fire and smoke logging to areas inside and around the public toilets at the Pioneer Square shopping centre.

"It happened at around 6.20 pm.

"Crews wearing breathing apparatus used a hosereel to extinguish the fire, and then large fans to extract the smoke.

"The smoke had affected several parts of the building in the vicinity.

"Initially areas of the site were closed off but all areas have since reopened."

The area was closed off throughout the evening by the fire service and the Bicester team said due to a number of surrounding units in the building and the row of bus stops outside crews had to use fans to remove smoke from hidden areas after the fire.

The cause of the fire is unknown and Thames Valley Police is now investigating how it happened.