George IV Bridge Fire: Area remains closed to traffic following devastating fire which tore through Edinburgh's Old Town

George IV Bridge and Candlemaker Row remain closed to vehicles today as workers continue their efforts to make the area safe after Tuesday’s fire.

Some pedestrian access has been restored but there is no direct route through the area while some cordons remain in place.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) was called to a fire affecting several properties at George IV Bridge in Edinburgh at 6.18am on Tuesday.

Images from the area early on Tuesday showed smoke pouring from a branch of Patisserie Valerie, next door to the Elephant House cafe, which was made famous as the place where JK Rowling wrote part of the Harry Potter series.

Over a hundred firefighters were on the scene working to extinguish the flames for more than 24 hours, with one being taken to hospital. He was released later than morning after undergoing precautionary checks.

The cause of the fire has not been officially confirmed.

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