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A man has been rescued from a fire at a town centre flat in Torfaen.

Fifty firefighters were called to the blaze in Commercial Street, Pontypool, at about 01:15 BST on Friday.

The rescued man was treated for the effects of smoke and a search confirmed that no-one else was trapped.

The fire gutted the ground floor St David's Foundation charity shop. The main road through the town centre remained closed on Friday morning as the blaze was investigated.

South Wales Fire officers said the blaze had severely damaged half of the three-storey building.

Bus services have been disrupted by the road closure and Torfaen council said the civic centre car park was not currently accessible.

Investigations about the cause of the fire have got under way although it is believed to have started in a kitchen within the building.

Gwent Police said it was called about the charity shop fire at 01:17 BST.

It said: "No-one was injured although one man was taken to the Royal Gwent Hospital as a precaution for smoke inhalation. Substantial damage was caused to the building.

"Hanbury Road, from the town bridge roundabout to Tesco roundabout, is currently closed whilst emergency services are present."

Emma Saysell, chief executive of St David's Hospice Care, said she was "devastated and very concerned by this very distressing fire".

"We will work closely with investigators to discover the cause of the fire and hope to have the shop back up and running as soon as possible," she said.

She also said her thoughts were with the injured man and she wished him a speedy recovery.