SCORES of office workers were evacuated from a Bournemouth town centre building yesterday morning, after a fire broke out on the third floor.

Emergency services were called to the building in Holdenhurst Road around 9am.

Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service (DWFRS) told the Echo they attended amid reports of smoke coming from one of the toilets.

Six fire engines from Poole, Westbourne, Christchurch and Redhill Park attended along with an aerial platform and the support unit from Hamworthy.

Firefighters carried out a search of the building and found evidence of a fire in a third floor toilet.

It was out by the time they arrived but was still smouldering

A DWFRS spokesman said there was “minimal” damage which had been confined to a small area. The cause of the fire is not yet known and investigations are continuing.

No-one was injured during the incident.

Office workers outside the building declined to comment to the Echo.

However one passerby said people had been evacuated “calmly” and “orderly” and their had been no signs of any panic.

The building, known as the ‘wedding cake’, is occupied by a number of firms including Abbey Life, McCarthy & Stone and Arthur J. Gallagher.

Yesterday morning, as the drama unfolded, a McCarthy & Stone spokesman said: “We can confirm that there has been a fire on the third floor of 100 Holdenhurst Road.

“All McCarthy & Stone staff have been safely evacuated and accounted for.

“Fire crews are currently at the scene assessing the damage.”

It was later confirmed all office workers had been safely evacuated from the building.

The Echo understands the building remained evacuated of, at least the majority of office workers, for the rest of the day

Abbey Life customers reported being unable to contact the offices, instead a recorded message saying the building had been evacuated because of a fire was played into the afternoon.