FIREFIGHTERS are battling a large fire at a recycling plant in Swindon.

The fire has broken out at Averies Recycling at Marshgate.

A large plume of black smoke can currently be seen over Swindon and reportedly as far afield as Devizes.

Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service originally had four pumps at the scene from Royal Wootton Bassett, Cricklade, and Marlborough, while FBU members from Swindon were on strike from 5pm to 7pm. Two crews from Stratton are now in attendance.

A fire service spokesman said: "We have four pumps in attendance at Averies Waste in Swindon where 1,000 tonnes of general waste is on fire. Crews are fighting to contain the blaze.

"Large amounts of black smoke are currently rising from the site and local people are advised to keep doors and windows closed if they are concerned about the plume, especially if they have a pre-existing respiratory condition."

Nobody is thought to have been hurt in the blaze but paramedics are on scene to ensure the welfare of firefighters. 

Acting Inspector Barry Reed, from Wiltshire Police, said: "At the moment we have a large fire which the fire brigade are dealing with from a number of different angles, but due to the nature of the event, it is being considered a major incident and we are expecting to be here for several days. 

"At this stage, we haven't even started looking at the cause, we are just dealing with the incident. We're not ruling anything out or in. 

"What we would ask is that there are quite a few members of the public nearby - please could they make sure they give the emergency services the space they need. 

"We would also echo the words of advice from the fire service - people in Walcot should be aware of the smoke and keep their windows shut."

Averies Recycling recycle over 80 per cent of the waste brought into their transfer stations and provide a range of services including skip hire.