London's highest tower was evacuated this morning amid reports of smoke pouring from the basement of the glass fronted Shard.

Fifty firefighters attended the 72-floor skyscraper in London Bridge as crowds of people waited outside.

A London Fire Brigade spokesman said there no was no indication of fire at around 11.30am.

"London Fire Brigade said firefighters are investigating reports of smoke in the basement of the Shard. There is no suggestion at this stage that there is a fire," she said.

"Seven fire engines and around 50 firefighters are at the scene, this is normal for this type of building. Firefighters from Soho, Dockhead, Old Kent Road, Shoreditch, Whitechapel and Lambeth fire stations are at the scene."

The spokeswoman said 900 people were evacuated from the building.

"The smoke is appearing to dissipate. Crews are still investigating what caused the smoke."

Ambulance crews also attended. There were no reports of injuries at time of publication.

At more than 1,000 tall, The Shard dominates the London skyline and is the highest building in Europe.

It cost £1.2bn to build of foreign money and includes luxury apartments for the super-rich. Prices range between £30-£50m.

But the Qatari owners struggled to sell the space in the tough economic climate. Many units stood empty a year after opening in 2012.