Fireman in hospital after blaze

A huge plume of smoke from the fire in Colchester was seen by motorists

A firefighter is recovering in hospital after he was injured tackling a scrapyard blaze in Essex.

The man was hit by debris from an exploding gas tank in a van at Whitehall industrial estate, Commerce Road, Colchester, on Tuesday night.

A fire service spokesman said the fireman was "comfortable". About 45 firefighters were at the scene.

A 57-year-old man from Colchester has been arrested on suspicion of arson, a police spokesman said.

A 200m (550ft) security zone was set up around the site after gas cylinders were found, and traffic was diverted.

Fire crews stayed at the scene on Wednesday to ensure the site had cooled down.