BREAKING: Emergency services are at a major incident in King Street, Wallasey, after a building collapsed into the road.

The cause of the collapse is not known at this point. 

Flats above the derelict shops are unoccupied, but it is not known if anyone has been injured.

People living nearby have been evacuated from their homes.

Rubble and debris are strewn across the road and King Street has been cordoned-off by police.

One eye witness said he heard "an explosion," although this is unconfirmed.

Globe photographer Paul Heaps arrived at the scene just minutes after the collapse.

He said: "It was pretty chaotic. There were 50 or 60 people gathered around and it seemed like dozens of emergency vehicles, fire, police and paramedics, were starting to arrive.

"There didn't seem to be anyone injured, which was good. But it's a real mess and I can't see the emergency services clearing the road for quite some time yet.

"A man who said he lived nearby told me he had heard an 'explosion', but the police have not confirmed this."

One Globe reader commenting on our Facebook page said: "My partner was in King Street when the building collapsed and he didn't hear any explosions, just a big rumble as it collapsed, he dived into the garage to avoid the dust cloud. Scary stuff those buildings have been rotting for years."

And Anna Gordon posted on the site: "King Street and Rudgrave Place and Square are closed off. Search and rescue been in, no one in there just a car damaged at the front of the building."

Staff at Rocket Ronnie's Snooker Club on King Street said they too did not hear any explosions but said members of the public came running inside to say there had been a building collapse.

A member of staff at the nearby BP Garage said she had heard a "loud noise" before a man ran in and told her to phone the police.

Wirral Globe:
This dramatic photograph was sent in by eye witness Ben Wojcik, who also shot the above video.

More information as we get it.