The fast food restaurant Burger King is officially reopening in Manchester today, almost a week since a fire ripped through the building.

At around 11am on Friday, March 1, several fire crews were called to Piccadilly Gardens to reports of a fire in a commercial building on Market Street.

While the city came to a standstill, photographs and video footage showed the floors above the Burger King restaurant had caught fire and thick plumes of smoke billowed into the sky.

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The fast food chain and an adjacent vape shop were forced to close while emergency services attended to the incident.

Now, Burger King has announced it will reopen its doors again to the public today (Thursday, March 7), six days after the blaze broke out.

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) said firefighters wore breathing apparatus, used two hose reels and a jet to extinguish the fire which took around four and a half hours.

Greater Manchester Police also said it appeared the fire was not started deliberately.

A spokesperson for Burger King said: “We're pleased to announce that our Manchester Piccadilly Gardens restaurant will be re-opening today, following the incident in the area above the restaurant on March 1st.

"We want to thank the local fire brigade for their swift action.”

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