Man arrested after fire forces evacuation of Leeds General Infirmary in freezing weather

Several patients were wheeled outside still in their beds with temperatures around 1C

West Yorkshire Police said the suspect is still in custody  (PA)

A man in Leeds has been arrested following a fire in Leeds General Infirmary (LGI). The fire meant that both patients and staff had to be evacuated from part of the hospital.

West Yorkshire Police said that officers were called to the hospital just before 6pm Thursday. A man, armed with a screwdriver, was “causing damage in a unit” and threatening to start a fire in the building.

The area was evacuated while officers attended the scene and put the man under arrest.

Social media showed large numbers of emergency service vehicles parked outside the emergency department of LGI. There were also reports of smoke in the hospital corridors.

Other pictures and videos showed patients being wheeled outside in their beds. Temperatures in the city were as low as 1C at the time.

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West Yorkshire Police released a statement saying: "No one is believed to have been injured in the incident.” They added that: “the suspect remains in custody.”

A spokeswoman for Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said: "We can confirm that there was a small fire at Leeds General Infirmary this evening.”

She went on to add:”nobody was injured” and thanked staff and emergency services “who responded quickly to the incident.”