Galashiels flats evacuated following early morning explosion

Image caption, The area was cordoned off following the explosion on Friday morning

A number of flats have been evacuated following an early morning explosion in the Scottish Borders.

Emergency services were called out to the incident on Wilderhaugh Court in Galashiels at about 03:00.

Police Scotland said a cordon had been put in place and a number of properties in the area evacuated "as a precaution".

There were no reports of any injuries and inquiries into the cause of the explosion are ongoing.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said it had sent three appliances to the scene to put out a fire.

Image caption, A nearby McDonald's drive-thru was closed as a result of the incident

Crews have now left the scene after ensuring the area was safe.

Scottish Gas Networks confirmed its engineers had been sent to the incident.

"We've carried out safety checks and established the incident was not related to our gas network," a statement said..

"We'd like to reassure local residents that the gas network remains safe and secure."