Factory unit almost destroyed as fire takes hold

About 90% of a factory unit near a city centre has been destroyed in a fire.

The blaze broke out in a three-storey building on Rea Street in Digbeth, Birmingham, shortly before 09:00 BST.

Roads were closed at the site, close to where the city's Pride celebrations are due to be held at the weekend. West Midlands Fire Service said two floors of a factory unit were affected. Police were helping with the traffic.

The spokesperson said the fire had been mostly extinguished by mid-afternoon, although crews stayed on the scene to tackle several remaining hotspots and roads remained shut.

A WMFS spokesperson described the fire as "severe" and said it was causing a "large amount of smoke".

People living nearby were urged to keep their windows and doors closed as a precaution.

About 50 firefighters from West Midlands Fire Service (WMFS) were called and at one point, there were nine fire engines in attendance.

Chris Shepherd, from Stafford, was at the site at about 09:00 BST and saw the first fire engine arrive.

"When I first saw it, there was a plume of black smoke and it spread towards the back of the building," he said.

"You could see the roof was on fire and the smoke and flames were quite high."

He also said he found it interesting watching the firefighters work and how they "came together" to tackle the blaze.