FIREFIGHTERS have this afternoon prevented a blaze in a pub kitchen from spreading into the main bar area.

Crews were called to a fire at The Crown pub, on Great Horton Road, Bradford at around 4.17pm.

When they arrived they found that a fire had started in the kitchen and then spread to an upstairs room.

Four crews, from Odsal, Bradford and Fairweather Green stations attended, along with a police van, which helped direct traffic around the fire engines at the busy junction.

After the fire was contained and then extinguished, crews used fans to clear smoke from the building, and cleared damaged equipment from the kitchen.

Fire crews told the Telegraph & Argus that they had prevented the fire from spreading to the bar area of the popular pub.

Although there had been people in the building at the time, there were no injuries.

Crew commander Ian Turner, from Odsal, said: "the fire started in the kitchen and spread to the room above, a store room for kitchen equipment.

"The kitchen and the upstairs room was gutted, but the rest of the pub is pretty much in tact. They could probably open up tonight if they wanted.

"It was the range extraction unit that seemed to cause the fire, and it spread from there.

"We got in and managed to get the fire out quickly, which saved the majority of the building."

A spokesman for Green King retailer and brewer which owns the Crown said: "The small kitchen fire was quickly extinguished by the fire brigade and fortunately no one was hurt.

"The pub remains closed for the time being due to fire damage. We apologise for any inconvenience this temporary closure may cause and will reopen as soon as possible. ”

While fire crews and police were dealing with the incident, a teenage boy rode past on an off road bike, pulling wheelies in busy traffic and taunting the police.

He then rode past the scene a second time, doing the same.