Around 40 firefighters battle blaze at historic former cinema

Around 40 firefighters have tackled a blaze at a former cinema building in Glasgow overnight.

The fire broke out in the derelict building which used to house the White Elephant cinema on Kilmarnock Road, Shawlands, at around 7pm on Tuesday.

No injuries have been reported as a result of the fire.

A section of the road in both directions between Pollokshaws Road and Coustonholm Road was closed to traffic while fire crews worked.

Nearby businesses in the area were also evacuated as crews worked to contain the fire.

The stop signal was received at 6.05am on Wednesday, and SFRS spokesperson told STV News.

The White Elephant cinema opened in 1927, and was designed by architect Harry Barnes for Glasgow cinema magnate AE Pickard.

In its original configuration, it had seating for around 1900, part of a complex also featuring a ballroom, restaurant and car park.

It closed in 1960 after which the street level was converted to shops, with the main frontage resurfaced and cut down.

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