POLICE have cordoned off a row of shops in Ellesmere Port due to an unstable chimney stack.

Three Whitby Road businesses up to the Vale Road junction were taped off by officers at 5.50am today (July 24) after bricks fell into the road.

A fire engine is present outside the nearby Eastern Delight restaurant and crews are dealing with the incident.

A police sign has been placed in the road and there is no access to the pavement near the shops.

Chester and District Standard:

A Cheshire Police spokesman confirmed to The Standard that the row of shops had been cordoned off as a "precautionary measure" due to an unstable chimney stack above one of the shops.

He confirmed Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service are in attendance along with police and an engineer has been called to the scene.

Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service said: "Firefighters attended to a dangerous structure on Whitby Road in Ellesmere Port.

"A number of bricks had fallen from a loose chimney stack.

"Crews put a cordon in place and waited for local authorities to attend to the scene before leaving the scene."