A YORK nightclub had to be evacuated early today after a sign on a neighbouring shop caught fire.

Fire crews were called to the Phones 4u shop on Coney Street just after 4am when smoke was seen coming from the sign. The fire damaged wood beams on the building, although the shop is still open today.

Sam Jackson-Waite, a doorman at the Willow club and restaurant which is next to the Phones 4u branch, said the club was evacuated temporarily because of the fire. He said: "I could smell burning for about five minutes when I decided to take a look around, and there was a bright orange glow from the base of the wooden frame where it was hollowed out.

"We tried to extinguish it, but the area behind the framework was all hollow and acted like a chimney.The fire crews had to remove all the panels until the fire was completely out."

The cause of the fire, is not yet known but North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said an investigation team would be going to the scene again today to assess the damage. It said the fire may have been smouldering for some time before it took hold, possibly even for a couple of days.