A boat was completely destroyed in Kingston last night after a fire ripped though it on the Thames.

The London Fire Brigade was called to the incident involving a Caribbean cruiser near the High Street at 11.46pm yesterday (December 6).

Eight people were evacuated from nearby flats as a precaution.

The fire, which did not result in any injuries, involved gas cylinders according to LFB.

Watch Manager Dave Bogaerts who was at the scene, said: “We had a very well developed fire which was extremely visible from the High Street in Kingston.

“The Brigade’s 999 control officers took around 12 calls to the blaze. Crews worked quickly to extinguish the fire.

“There were propane cylinders involved so a hazard zone was set up as cylinders can explode when exposed to heat.”

Fire crews from Surbiton and Kingston fire stations and rescue units from Heston and Croydon attended the scene.

The fire, the cause of which is believed to be accidental, was under control just after 1am.