Several people smoking in their bedrooms caused a large evacuation in Wimbledon town centre last night.

Twenty firefighters were called to the YMCA accommodation building in The Broadway at 11.30pm last night (Thursday) when about 150 people had to exit as a precaution.

Crews from Wimbledon, Tooting and Mitcham discovered that the building's automatic fire alarm was triggered by guests smoking in their rooms on the seventh floor.

YMCA Wimbledon is the largest provider of supported housing for single homeless people with support needs in Merton.

A crew member who attended the scene said: "Obviously it's disappointing that some residents caused this inconvenience, but at least it's a comfort that the building's fire alarm system is working properly."

Accommodation consists of 110 single rooms with communal bathrooms and a restaurant, which is also open to the public.

Firefighters were also called to a false alarm at St George's Hospital last night due to an electrical fault.

Got a story for us? Call 020 8722 6333, tweet @WimbledonNews or email: newsdesk@wimbledonguardian.co.uk.