Two in hospital after Chinese restaurant blaze

Two people have been taken to hospital after a Chinese restaurant was seriously damaged when a fire broke out in the early hours.

The blaze ignited at Furama Palace in Trent Vale, Stoke-on-Trent, at about 03:45 BST on Monday, Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service said.

In a post on X, the fire service said five crews were sent to tackle the blaze in the building's roof and urged people to avoid the area.

A man and a woman who were in the building were treated for minor injuries before being taken to hospital, West Midlands Ambulance Service said.

The A34 Newcastle Road was closed to enable firefighters to work at the scene, but it has since been reopened.

The fire service confirmed the blaze had been extinguished and an investigation into the cause would take place "in due course".

Hayley Lovett, who lives nearby, told BBC Radio Stoke she could smell smoke in the early hours and saw the flames when she looked outside.

"It was quite scary. It was near the end of our garden as well, so the chances of it catching fire were quite worrying," she said.

"Our house is very full of smoke today."

She said her family were regulars at the restaurant, having first gone there about 10 years ago.

"The sad thing is that it's somebody's business... it's not nice for them," she added.

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