A FIRE at an electrical substation knocked out power on one of Glasgow's busiest streets.

Fire crews battled for half an hour to sudue the blaze which engulfed a power station near the heart of the city and disrupted power to the Pavillion Theatre and a nearby hotel at the top of Renfield Street. 

One person was trapped in a lift in a building in nearby Bath Street when the power went out, and fire crews were diverted to help free them. 

Firefighters were called out to the fire, which broke out in a lane next to The Herald's office, just after eight pm on Friday and deployed water jets from two hoses to bring it under control.

A perimeter was set up around the area to stop pedestrians from venturing too close while the facility burned. It is thought that the Pavillion was evacuated when the lights failed. 

Three fire engines were sent to the scene.

The substation, which was engulfed by flames when a similar blaze broke out last year, was heavily damaged.

Scottish power engineers will now assess the extent of the repairs which will be required.  

No-one is thought to have been injured in the incident. Power was restored to nearby buildings by 9.30pm.

A spokeswoman for the Scottish Fire and Rescue service said: "Our crews are attending a fire which has broken out in an electriciy substation adjacent to Renfield Street.

"It is understood that there have been black-outs in nearby buildings, and we have had a report of one person who was trapped in a lift. Our officers extinguished the initial fire and checked for signs that it has spread."