A sprinkler system helped save the day as an ‘electrical fault’ sparked a fire at the Bentall Centre in Kingston.

The London Fire Brigade was called at 11.11pm on May 31 after security guards raised the alarm when they heard a smoke detector sounding go off.

Firefighters rushed to the scene from both Kingston and Surbiton stations before the blaze was under control shortly after 1am today (June 1).

A London Fire Brigade spokesman said: “This fire highlights the clear benefits of sprinklers to businesses and we would urge all companies and business owners to install them.

“It is a common misconception that in the event of a fire all sprinklers go off. In this case, only one sprinkler activated to control the fire spread and limit fire damage."

The shop in question was fitted with a sprinkler system, while one sprinkler head operated and helped stop the fire from spreading.