MORE than £20,000 worth of damage has been caused after a fire at The Ryemarket multi-storey car park in Stourbridge last night (Tuesday).

Eye witness Alastair Kennedy-Rose said he heard a loud crackling noise while walking home late past Waitrose in Market Street and on investigation he noticed a "large glow in the ground floor below the car park".

He said he immediately dialled 999 and fire crews arrived on the scene within minutes but he said: "Meanwhile, the fire had taken hold and I estimate that large plumes of smoke were going 300ft high into the night sky.

"The firefighters appeared to soon have the situation under control, but I’d say the fire was not unsubstantial."

The blaze was this morning reported to have caused around £20,000 worth of damage to the car park which adjoins the Ryemarket shopping centre.

Kelly Dyas, manager at The Ryemarket shopping centre, said the shopping centre had been unaffected and was today open as normal but the council car park attached to the centre has been closed today as a result of the fire which was reportedly started in the compound under the car park ramp at around 10.50pm last night.

Teenagers are believed to have started the blaze by setting fire to a pile of rubbish within the secure compound and police want to identify two youths, pictured in this CCTV image below, in connection with the incident.

Stourbridge News: Do you recognise these youths?Do you recognise these youths?

A spokesman for West Midlands Police said detectives have launched an investigation and want to hear from anyone with information about the incident or able to identify the pair in the picture.

People are asked to contact police by calling 101, or via Live Chat online at west-midlands.police.uk (8am to midnight), and quote crime reference number 20DY/209969K/20.

Alternatively Crimestoppers can be called anonymously on 0800 555111.

Dudley Council bosses said the blaze had caused a power failure to the car park but there was no structural damage and they stressed they were working to re-open it as soon as possible.

Councillor Karen Shakespeare, the council's cabinet member for environmental, highways and street services, said: "In the meantime people can still make the most of our two-hour free parking at our Church Street, Birmingham Street and Coventry Street car parks."