Watch Theo Kesby's dramatic footage

Smoke still hung heavy over the Canal section of Camden’s famous market last night, a pungent reminder of Saturday's blaze.

More than 100 stalls, mainly run by independent retailers, had been devastated by the fire, which broke out shortly after 7pm and raged for three hours. The area's most famous pub, the Hawley Arms, which attracts celebrities such as Amy Winehouse, Kate Moss and Sadie Frost, was gutted.

At 1pm yesterday fire engines were still pumping water into shops along Chalk Farm Road. More than 40 firefighters remained on the scene. Some of the 100 residents evacuated last night had returned to their homes, but a quarter-mile area remained cordoned off.

Store owners, reliant on the tens of thousands who visit Camden every day, were clearly worried about police statements that parts of the market would be closed off for four days.

Everyone was pulling together to get business back on track.

Alan Myatt, Camden’s town crier for 14 years, was standing outside the station. “Hear Ye, Hear Ye, Stables Market is open,” he shouted at the shoppers making their way up Camden High Street.

Simon Pitkeathley, chief executive of Camden Town United, an organisation which represents businesses in the area, described how he was taken by firefighers into some of the fire-hit buildings in Canal Market.

He said: “It is absolutely devastated. When I walked in there, it took my breath away. I was not expecting it to be that bad.

“From the road, it looks bad enough, but it is not until you are inside that you see the full extent. The damage goes back quite a long way.

“But lots of things remain open in Camden Town. The other markets are open, and many of the shops, pubs and bars are now able to reopen as well. We will soon be back on our feet.”

Among those milling around yesterday was Theo Kesby, 24, a Camden resident, who was at the nearby Stables Market when the fire broke out and used his mobile phone to film the flames as they developed.

“Just past 7pm I saw smoke getting thicker and thicker. We saw it billowing out of Afterdark Fashions, at the entrance to the Canal side of the market," he said.

“When we walked onto the bridge we saw the size of the fire. It was massive.

“Police arrived and started pushing people back. That’s when we saw smoke coming out of the houses.

"We saw the fire spread across the railway line towards the Hawley Arms. Fire crews were battling it - but it looked like it was an unequal battle."

“The fire got about 10 metres away from the food market, which has gas cannisters in it. The sky was full of ash and embers.”

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