Fire crews were today still damping down at the scene of a fierce blaze estimated to have caused tens of thousands of pounds damage to a Telford cardboard recycling plant.

More than 30 firefighters were drafted in to Green Skips site on the Tweedale Industrial Estate at the height of the blaze which was discovered at about 2.45 this morning.

They spent four hours battling the blaze and stopping flames spreading to two neighbouring scrapyards.

Three lorries, a tractor, two portable buildings and a corrugated store and workshop were destroyed in the fire.

Fifteen firefighters were still at the scene damping down this morning and they were expected to remain on site for the bulk of the day.

The cause of the blaze is under investigation.

Crews from Tweedale fire station were first to arrive on the scene and they found the blaze had already taken hold at Green Skips.

Watch manager Tim Hughes said: “Flames were shooting out of the buildings and smoke was pouring from the site.

“The fire engulfed three lorries along with a tractor, two portable buildings and a large, corrugated building which housed cardboard, other items for recycling and machinery.

“We upped the scale of our operation to bring in a total of six fire engines and we used an aerial platform to monitor the situation from above.”

The incident commander, station manager Dave Bishton, of Shrewsbury fire station, said the recycling plant was between two scrap yards and that posed another problem for firefighters.

He said: “We had dual aims at the incident. First we had to fight the Green Skips fire and also we had to stop it spreading to the scrapyards.

“There were numerous vehicles in those yards and if the fire had taken hold in either, or both, our problems would have been much more serious.

“Fortunately, we managed to contain the fire to the Green Skips site,”he added.

Mr Bishton said fire investigators were at the scene this morning trying to find out how the blaze started.

He said he believed the loss of the vehicles especially would put the total damage toll at tens of thousands of pounds.

By Simon Hardy