Huge fire breaks out at famous London market

LONDON, Feb 9 (Reuters) - A huge fire broke out on Saturday evening at Camden market, one of London's most popular tourist spots, sending flames leaping high into the air. London Fire Brigade said it had sent 20 fire engines and 100 firefighters to tackle the blaze at the market in north London, an area usually thronged with shoppers and people enjoying the area's pubs and clubs.

A police spokesman said there were no immediate reports of injuries and nothing to suggest the fire's origins were criminal.

"I can see the entire market ... covered in yellow flames. It seems like it's spreading quite quickly as well," eyewitness Lawrence Wahlund told Sky News.

According to the Camden market Web site, it is the largest street market in Britain and the fourth most-visited tourist attraction in London, with about 500,000 visitors a week.

The market, next to Camden Lock, opened in the 1970s and has grown into a sprawling complex of market stalls, shops, workshops, studios and cafes. Shops sell everything from arts and crafts to designer clothes and antiques.

There was no immediate word on how serious the damage to the market was. (Reporting by Adrian Croft; Editing by Matthew Jones)