A worker had to be rescued from a crane in Victoria after an office block below him set on fire.

The alarm was raised on Saturday (December 6) morning by the man who was at the top of one of six cranes in Bressenden Place where major building works are going on to transform Victoria .

He could not get down from the crane because of smoke coming from a fire in a split-level office block of six and 12 floors under refurbishment.

A total of 21 firefighters and officers from Lambeth, Chelsea and Soho fire stations were called to the scene at 9.02am and the man was rescued from the crane by crews wearing breathing apparatus using an aerial ladder from the roof of the building to reach the crane.

He had to be treated at the scene for smoke inhalation by London Ambulance Service paramedics.

The ground floor of the office block was slightly damaged by the fire which was under control by 9.30am and the cause is now being investigated.

Last month nearby Victoria Station had to be evacuated during rush hour after smoke started pouring out of Boots the Chemist, which turned out to be a faulty chiller.