A massive fire has torn through a Leicestershire shopping centre, leaving its roof collapsed and residents ordered to keep their windows shut. 

Firefighters flocked to Thurmaston Shopping Centre in Barkby Thorpe Lane following reports of a blaze at about 4am on Saturday. 

Images from the retail centre show the fire ripping through a number of shops, with retailers including Greggs, Mountain Warehouse and M&S remaining closed throughout today. 

Video footage showed black smoke rising from the centre to the sky as emergency services rushed to bring the blaze under control. 

Eight fire engines were reported at the scene during the fire's peak, alongside two aerial appliances and more than 40 firefighters.

Residents living nearby were told to keep their windows and doors shut as a huge smoke plume advanced around the area. 

The cause of the fire is not yet clear, while the roof of Mountain Warehouse is said to be severely damaged. 

Jordan Slack, who lives a few roads from the site, told LeicestershireLive he was 'shocked' at what he saw.

He said: 'I've come down this morning to get to the gym but obviously it's been closed off.

'I had photos come in from local WhatsApp groups of the fire around 5am. I was shocked.

'When I first saw the pictures, I thought the fire would take the whole shopping centre but thankfully it was stopped before it grew further.' 

Another resident who lives close to the site and often visits Thurmaston Shopping Centre to go to the gym said he also thought the fire would engulf all stores in the area.

Michael, 40, said: 'When I first heard about the fire, I was quite worried because it looked really bad - like there would be nothing left of the shopping centre.

'It's never good to see something like this. It's definitely going to hurt the community and the businesses in the area, as there are now fewer shops available in the shopping centre for people to visit.

'Plus, when you have a big store like M&S close, you will definitely see fewer people visiting the shopping centre.'

Michael said he was impressed by the fire service's quick reaction to the blaze and is grateful for their efforts.

He added: 'I'm very grateful for the fire service as I was told they were here very quickly and they seem to have the situation under control now, so thank God for them.

'There was definitely a fear that the fire would spread throughout the shopping centre as all the stores are so closely linked but again, thankfully, the fire officers were here in time.'

Joe Rollestone, Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service incident commander, confirmed that six units within the centre were affected by the blaze.

He said: 'We received a call just after 4am this morning. We sent out two crews initially and it ended up being eight appliances being sent out and two aerial ladders.

'When we arrived the roof of the store was involved in the fire and towards the rear of the shop, so that is when the crews brought eight appliances in total.

'Crews worked really hard to contain the fire and six units were affected. They managed to contain it well.

'There is varying damage in all six units affected and an investigation has been launched into the incident.

'Crews are now dampening down the affected area and making sure no fire spreads to any other units.'

Four fire engines remained in place with an aerial ladder in use as firefighters work to ensure the blaze is completely extinguished. 

The fire service will also open the centre's car park, which is currently closed in the area. Barkby Thorpe Lane has reopened to traffic. 

Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service said there was no indication as to what started the blaze and it has handed the investigation over to Leicestershire Police.