A FIRE involving 500 tons of scrap metal broke out at a recycling centre in Portsmouth yesterday.

More than 50 firefighters were called to tackle the blaze which broke out at European Metal Recycling at 8.41am.

A Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service spokesman advised nearby residents to keep their windows closed because of the smell but said the smoke was not harmful.

He said: “The fire caused a smoke plume reaching heights of over 100ft which could be seen for miles.

“The smoke plume has now settled but could affect local residents. Residents are therefore advised to close their windows and doors. The smoke plume is not harmful and so residents should not be concerned by the smell.

Fire service group manager Alan Murray added: “Crews are doing a fantastic job in arduous conditions. Metal, when involved in a fire, gets intensely hot. This creates a difficult environment to work in and so this incident could continue for a number of hours.”

He added that the cause of the incident is not yet known, but it is not being treated as suspicious.