Chariots sauna in Shoreditch – believed to be the largest gay sauna in the UK – was badly damaged by fire in the early hours of Sunday 20 March. Firefighters were called to the venue just after 6am after a fire broke out on the ground floor of the venue – which houses the reception area, locker rooms and TV lounge. It’s thought around 150 men were evacuated by the time the firemen arrived, and there were no reports of anyone being injured. The London Fire Brigade said that 30 fire-fighters took 90 minutes to get the fire under control, but not before it had destroyed most of the ground floor. An investigation is currently under way into the cause of the incident, but police have said that they are not treating it as suspicious.

Posted: 21 March 2011