Fire crews battle scrapyard fire

Smoke from the fire billowed across the city

Fire crews have tackled a major blaze at a scrapyard in the Dunkirk area of Nottingham.

Eight fire engines were called to the property on Harriman's Lane near the Showcase Cinema at 0320 BST, Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue said.

Police said there was no danger to residents in the area as there were no chemicals on the Simsmetal UK site.

Eyewitnesses said smoke was blowing across nearby Beeston and people were being advised to close their windows.

Fire spokesman Trevor Tarlton-Weatherall said: "The scrap covers a couple of acres and the fire has spread quite rapidly through that big pile of scrap metal."

Police closed off two streets, Redfield Road and Bullclose Road, which are located near the industrial estate.

Rebecca Hulme-Edwardson from Boots, which has its headquarters in the area, said the fire had not affected its operations, but added that the Harriman's Lane entrance to the Boots site was closed.

Beeston resident Ken Andrews said he heard several explosions in the early hours of the morning that he believed were linked to the fire.