Heatwave lightning strike sets former London fire station alight

A Grade-II listed bell tower at a former fire station went up in flames after being struck by lightning during the heatwave.

Twenty firefighters were called to the building in Wimbledon, south London when the storm hit last night.

Photos show flames rising and smoke billowing from the landmark - which dates back to 1890 - before cherry pickers were used to survey the damage.

The strike happened at around 6pm.

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In one of the strangest lightning stories we've ever heard, an entire football team in Congo was killed when lightning struck a pitch during a match. Weirdly their opponents were unharmed, sparking accusations of witchcraft. Newspaper L'Avenir explained: "Lightning killed at a stroke 11 young people aged between 20 and 35 years during a football match. The athletes from Basanga [the home team] curiously came out of this catastrophe unscathed." The Congolese newspaper added that 30 other people received burns at the weekend fixture.

'It's not something you see every day'

Property manager Barry Daly, 32, witnessed the aftermath of the lightning strike while walking his dog at 8.30pm.

He said: "I was surprised to see the fire brigade and the blue flashing lights as I approached.

"The fire was out at that stage but people were saying it had been struck by lightning.

"It's a five minute walk from where I live so I pass by the clock often.

"It's not something you see every day."