A large Sony distribution warehouse has partially collapsed as a result of a blaze which, along with many others in the capital this week is believed to have started as a result of riots and looting.

Last night London Fire Brigade experienced 15 times the normal levels of calls, the busiest night “in recent memory”.

The two-storey distribution warehouse in Enfield is believed to have caught fire at around midnight. Around 55 firefighters tackled the blaze throughout the night, and are crews are expected to remain on the scene for the rest of the day (9 August).

Around 170 people in a nearby hotel were evacuated, and residents nearby were advised to keep their doors and windows shut against the large amounts of black smoke generated by burning plastic.

Dramatic pictures of Sony fire from the Mirror website

In Croydon, a family-run furniture store which has been trading for over 140 years was destroyed in a blaze which started around 9.00pm last night. Around 50 firefighters responded to the blaze at the four-storey building which included flats above the store.

Trevor Reeves, one of the owners, questioned whether the fire brigade and police had enough resources to cope.

"If the police and the fire engines had arrived a few minutes earlier this might not have happened,” he told Sky News. “This was built in the late 1800s and it’s been completely destroyed. It’s a business that has been in my family for five generations. My brother and father are devastated. The authorities do not have the ability to cope.”

London’s firefighting resources were last night “stretched to breaking point”, according to the Guardian’s website. Rioters attacked at least three fire engine crews tackling some of the incidents. Crews also attended a number of fires directly resulting from civil disturbances in Hackney, Lewisham, Newham and Southwark.

Fire crews are reported to have had problems entering some areas and needing police escorts. But a London Fire Brigade spokesperson told info4fire it had so far managed to deal with incidents right across London without having to call on support from neighbouring fire services, but contingency plans were in place should the need arise.