ONE person has been confirmed dead and two injured following this morning's explosion at a house in North Shields.

Police, fire and ambulance crews were called to a house in Grey Street in the town just before 8am following the explosion.

Eyewitnesses reported that the house had been reduced to rubble.

The area has been cordoned off, residents evacuated and at least five streets closed off to traffic as structural engineers check whether there has been blast damage to neighbouring properties.

In the last few minutes, police confirmed that there had been one fatality at the scene and a further two people had been taken to hospital suffering from cuts and shock.

The cause of the explosion has yet to be determined, but gas engineers are at the scene. Members of the public are being urged to avoid the area.