'Large' blast at trading estate

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BBC News website reader Sunil Vanmullem captured video of the blaze which followed the explosion

A fire has broken out after a "large explosion" at a chemical plant on a Berkshire trading estate.

Emergency services were alerted following the blast at the rubber factory on the Slough Trading Estate.

Most employees were in a meeting at the other end of the building and escaped injury, but one person is thought to have been hurt by flying glass.

Police are treating it as a non-suspicious chemical explosion, and are investigating with the fire service.

The Health and Safety Executive has also begun its own probe.

Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service spokeswoman Nicole Targett said: "It was quite an explosion. Metal panels were blown out across the road into the car park opposite and the force smashed windows of other premises nearby.

"All the people inside were at the other end of the building at a meeting when the explosion went off.

Slough Trading Estate was made famous in the BBC series The Office

"If they had been at the factory end then it could have been a lot more serious and I am sure there would have been [more] casualties.

"The sound of the explosion was heard for miles around.

"The factory processes rubber for industrial uses and there are chemicals on site but we don't know yet whether they were involved in the explosion."

More than 30 firefighters were called to the scene at Eastbourne Road shortly before 1000 GMT to tackle the fire.

An eyewitness told the BBC they could see "lots of smoke and activity of emergency services personnel".

Puneet Jindle, who works near the estate, said: "I'm located in Windsor, in the Centrica building, so a few miles away, but we still heard the bang and saw a plume of smoke coming from Slough.

"It's near the power station as far as we could tell. It was fairly large but dispelled quite quickly."

Thames Valley Police said: "The area has been cordoned off and road closures are in place. Motorists are being urged to avoid the area."

The 462-acre business park was made famous as the location for the BBC television comedy series The Office.