Chemical fire aftermath

Almost 100 Leominster schoolchildren were forced to miss important exams after a huge fire at an industrial packaging site engulfed the town in smoke today.

Scores of residents were evacuated from homes close to the Skymark plant on Southern Avenue while five schools in the area closed. A 400-yard cordon was set up as a plume of black chemical smoke rose.

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Residents fled to the nearby Bridge Street leisure centre after the fire broke out at about 3.30am.

About 1,400 children at Leominster Primary, Leominster Junior, Minster College, Westfield Special School and The Priory Pupil Referral Unit were affected.

Ninety students at Minster College were stopped from sitting GCSE and A-Levels, a spokesman for Herefordshire Council confirmed.

The minor injuries unit and outpatients departments at Leominster Community Hospital were also closed.

A spokesman for Herefordshire Council said the number of people received at the Bridge Street Sports Centre had reached between 170 and 180.

Chris Bigglestone, of Caradoc Drive, said: "It was a bit of a shock to start with being woken up by someone banging on the door

"I looked out the window and saw the smoke and flames. All of a sudden there was an explosion so we got in the car and they told us to come here. Everyone has been brilliant."

A police spokesman said the wind "remained static" but could increase later, causing the smoke to rise higher and dissipate.

Officers from Environment Agency Wales were today working with the emergency services.

A spokesperson for the EA said the fire service and the Environmental Protection Unit were currently focusing on cooling down a 55,000 gallon tanker of highly flammable solvent.

Agency staff were using an air quality monitoring unit to measure the toxicity of the smoke from the blaze.

Officers were also advising the on the disposal of the water used to dowse the fire.

By Sophie Bignall and Hannah Costigan