Can any part of the legendary venue survive?

A blaze has ripped through the venue that was once Malcolm Hardee's legendary Tunnel Club.

A hundred firefighters have spent this afternoon battling a giant blaze that broke out in the building next to the Blackwall Tunnel in South London, which is now the Studio 338 nightclub.

Thick, black plumes of smokes could be seen for miles across the capital as 15 engines tackled the blaze.

A large part of the ground floor of a nightclub and part of its first floor are currently alight, according to the London Fire Brigade, with industrial units nearby also affected. One man was rescued from the club and has been rushed to hospital, suffering burns.

The brigade received dozens of calls just before midday.

Station Manager Winston Douglas who is at the scene said: ‘This is a large fire and the smoke could be seen from across London, meaning our 999 control officers took over 50 emergency calls.

‘Our firefighters are making steady progress but they will be at the scene for the rest of the day, and possibly into the evening. We are advising people living in the area to keep their doors and windows closed as the fire is producing a lot of smoke.’

The cause of the fire is not known at this stage.

Studio 338, an Ibiza-style dance clubs that could host 3,000 people opened three years ago, as the former Mitre Tavern was expanded. Ariel pictures from a BBC News helicopter show the extension razed by the flames, but the original building still standing.

Between 1984 and 1988, Hardee ran and compered London’s most notorious comedy night in that building.

The Tunnel Club was known for having the comedy circuit’s most unforgiving audiences and acts such as Harry Enfield, Arthur Smith and Simon Munnery endured trial by ordeal there in their early days.

It was closed down following a massive police raid, which recovered only a handful of drugs despite a £750,000 operation, and only reopened again in 1995 as a nightclub.

• Nick Revell’s memories of the Tunnel Club.