A bar manager has called for parking restrictions in a narrow alley after a fire engine was unable to get down and deal with a blaze which had broken out.

Jamie Garwood, 31, who runs Switch Bar in George Lane, was alerted to the fire on the flat roof at the rear of the bar in Station Passage at around 3pm yesterday.

Switch was not open at the time and Jamie, who was in his family’s glazing shop a few doors down, found out about the blaze from a neighbour.

He said: “He ran in and shouted 'The building is on fire!' We charged out with extinguishers.

“There are flats up there and someone had flicked a cigarette end into a pile of rubbish.

“We managed to get the fire out but there was still a lot of smoke when the fire engine arrived.”

Apart from a short stretch at one end, there are no parking restrictions in Station Passage and the alley was full of cars blocking access for the engine.

Mr Garwood said: “They tried to get through from both sides, but in the end they had to come down here on foot.

“One of them said to us ‘How the hell are you going to get a fire engine down here if there’s a real disaster?’”

The owners of the bar met with Roding ward councillors Felicity Banks and Gwyneth Deakins in March to raise their concerns about access problems.

There is a minicab firm in Station Passage and several other businesses, but Mr Garwood says that commuters also park there before using nearby South Woodford tube station.

Cllr Deakins said: “We did take the issue up with the council but we have not had a response.

“Clearly this was a potentially serious incident and in the light of what has happened we will be raising the matter with Highways officers again.”

Mr Garwood said: “I understand there is pressure on parking around here and everyone gets fed up when they can't find somewhere to park.

“It’s a pain for us because it’s hard to take deliveries and even dustcarts can’t get down, but this is about safety which is obviously more important than all of that.

“If this fire had been more serious the whole building could have gone up and anyone inside would not have stood a chance because no engine could get down.”

Redbridge council has been asked to comment.