A Catford dry cleaners went up in flames after a second fire in the building this year.

The first fire was in January when Carlton Dry Cleaners was damaged by the fire, believed to have started by clothes left in a tumble dryer.

It took a few months before the site, which was first opened in 1959, was able to reopen before disaster struck again.

Last night (May 1) the dry cleaners went up in flames again with London Fire Brigade investigators saying they believe it was the same problem again.

Four fire engines and 21 firefighters rushed to the scene at 10.48pm and it took firefighters more than an hour to get the blaze under control.

Firefighter Tom Wootton, who was at the scene, said: “It was very smoke logged when we got there and the fire caused extensive damage to the shop floor.”

Half the ground floor shop was damaged in the fire and the flats above the shop were also smoke logged.

Firefighter Wootton said: “These types of fires often involve materials which have become contaminated with oil, such as linseed, massage and cooking oil on tea towels, tablecloths and chef whites.

“Sometimes when these materials are cleaned, put in tumble dryers and then folded and stacked, the heat cannot escape, which results in a high enough temperature to smoulder and eventually ignite.

“If you are washing then drying on a hot cycle, always use the cooling cycle on the tumble dryer so it cools down and allows the heat to dissipate properly, before stacking laundered items.”