Investigation to be launched into large fire at Wigan scrapyard

Firefighters were initially called to Moat House Street in Ince just after 2.20pm on Friday for a blaze involving a large quantity of tyres.

They had to work throughout the weekend to bring it under control and only left on Monday morning, when they were sure the flames had all been extinguished.

The considerable size of the fire means it is expected to take some time for a thorough investigation to be done to find out what started it.

The vast majority of the damage was to tyres on the site, with much of the infrastructure saved by the fire crews.

The blaze started on Friday afternoon, when thick, black smoke billowed into the sky over Ince and could be seen several miles away.

People were told to avoid the area and those living nearby were asked to keep their doors and windows closed due to the large amount of smoke.

Six fire engines attended and police officers managed traffic in the area, with part of Manchester Road closed for several hours.

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