Updated: FIREFIGHTERS were called to a historic pub in the centre of York after a blaze broke out in one of its chimneys.

Crews spent about 90 minutes tackling the flames at The Black Swan in Peasholme Green after the alarm was raised just after 11am yesterday.

The fire sent plumes of smoke billowing across the area.

North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service said people were in the medieval pub when the fire started before opening time, but they were out of the building by the time three crews from York arrived at the scene, and nobody was hurt.

Officers returned yesterday afternoon and have put the cause of the fire down to soot and a bird’s nest blocking the chimney.

“There was just myself and a cleaner in the building when the fire started and there has been no damage to the pub, so although we had to delay opening for an hour, we stayed open through the rest of the day,” said the Black Swan’s landlord, Andy Cross.

• Soot is believed to have caused two chimney fires over the weekend. Firefighters dealt with incidents at Egton, near Whitby, at about 3.45pm on Saturday and also at Toulston, near Tadcaster, at about 4.20pm the same day.