BBC Local Live: Stoke & Staffordshire on Wednesday 2 March 2016

Summary

Large fire at Stafford industrial estate 'contained' by fire crews
Crewe student took fake gun into university library
Smiler crash: Alton Towers to sell ride merchandise
Updates on Wednesday 2 March 2016

Live Reporting

Allen Cook

Stafford Fire: Smoke 'still a major factor'published at 14:35 Greenwich Mean Time 2 March 2016
Firefighters are wearing masks due to the amount of smoke coming from the blaze.
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Stafford Fire: Busy atmosphere at command postpublished at 14:24 Greenwich Mean Time 2 March 2016
Chris King
Reporter, BBC Radio Stoke
I've been to Stafford Rangers football ground where the emergency services are basing themselves.
Needless to say it is very busy and the car park is full of vehicles as they work to control this fire and put it out.
Stafford Fire: Pollution monitored as fire crews keep fighting blazepublished at 14:14 Greenwich Mean Time 2 March 2016
The Environment Agency says it has officers at the site of the fire to check for any contamination from the blaze.
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Watch: Explosion as firefighters tackle Stafford blazepublished at 14:04 Greenwich Mean Time 2 March 2016
Express and Star
Fifty firefighters were at a warehouse on the Astonfields Industrial Estate, and residents were told to keep windows shut by Staffordshire Fire & Rescue Service as they battled to stop the blaze spreading to 40,000 litres of oil, external.
Media caption,
Video courtesy of the Express & Star
Alton Towers Smiler souvenirs to go back on salepublished at 13:54 Greenwich Mean Time 2 March 2016
Jennifer Meierhans
BBC News Online
Alton Towers Smiler ride merchandise will go back on sale when the rollercoaster reopens after a crash which seriously injured five people, said the theme park.
Smiler souvenirs stopped being sold at the Staffordshire theme park following the crash in which two women lost a leg.
But memorabilia has appeared on eBay listed as "rare collectors items".
Image source, PA
A spokeswoman for the theme park said: "We will be selling merchandise again when The Smiler reopens for the 2016 season."
Both the ride and theme park - which has been closed for winter - will reopen on 19 March.
Stafford Fire: Witness saw 'Balls of flame'published at 13:40 Greenwich Mean Time 2 March 2016
Jennifer Meierhans
BBC News Online
We've heard from Sarah Kearney about the fire in Stafford today - she works nearby and says she came into work at around 09:00.
Image source, Si Watson
Quote Message
I sat down, looked out of the window, there was thick black smoke. In the last hour it just got thicker and thicker. We saw explosions, balls of flame. If I go outside, I can hear sirens everywhere."
Sarah Kearney
Watch: Stafford Fire - rescue effort uses football ground as command postpublished at 13:30 Greenwich Mean Time 2 March 2016
Liz Copper
Reporter, BBC Midlands Today
As they look to put this fire out, emergency services have been using the nearby Stafford Rangers Football Club a few hundred yards away as a command post to organise the firefighting effort.
Rob Barber from Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service has told me houses within 50 metres of the blaze have been evacuated.
They urging other people nearby to stay inside and keep windows and doors closed.
Stafford Fire: Blaze 'now contained'published at 13:19 Greenwich Mean Time 2 March 2016
Allen Cook
BBC Local Live
Fire crews have been at the site of the fire since this morning and say they have now contained it after several hours.
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Stafford Fire: Attempts to stop spread of blazepublished at 13:08 Greenwich Mean Time 2 March 2016
Chris King
Reporter, BBC Radio Stoke
Fire crews are now trying to make sure the blaze at Global Hygiene in Astonfields doesn't spread to, external nearby firms.
They've been at the site since around 09:00.
Stafford Fire: Building where blaze happened was 'under construction'published at 12:56 Greenwich Mean Time 2 March 2016
Hilary McConnell
Producer, BBC Midlands Today
The fire in Stafford this morning started in a building under construction, the firm that owns it says.
In a statement, Global Hygiene says one person was inside it at the time.
Image source, Roger Baker
The firm says he was evacuated safely and some neighbouring units on the technology park were also evacuated.
Coming up on Midlands Today this lunchtime: Latest on Stafford firepublished at 12:45 Greenwich Mean Time 2 March 2016
Liz Copper
Reporter, BBC Midlands Today
On Midlands Today this lunchtime I'll be live from the site of this huge blaze at the industrial estate in Stafford.
Dozens of firefighters are at the scene and I'll have the very latest on BBC One from 13:30.
News: Major fire raging in Stafford; baby's FGM order when mum seeks surgery; new Bishop of Lichfield announcedpublished at 12:35 Greenwich Mean Time 2 March 2016
John Collins
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke
The main headlines this afternoon include:
- A fire at an industrial cleaning company in Stafford has been declared a major incident by emergency services
- A Staffordshire baby girl, whose mother asked how she could have her circumcised, has been protected with a High Court order
- The 99th Bishop of Lichfield has been announced by Downing Street this morning, a year to the day since Bishop Jonathan Gledhill announced his retirement
Stafford Fire: Blaze is in oil storage warehousepublished at 12:24 Greenwich Mean Time 2 March 2016
Chris King
Reporter, BBC Radio Stoke
The fire service have told BBC Radio Stoke that the site of the blaze is an oil storage warehouse containing 40-50,000 litres of oil.
Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service say no-one has been seriously hurt in the fire and everyone at the site was evacuated.
Stafford Fire: Schools close because of nearby blazepublished at 12:11 Greenwich Mean Time 2 March 2016
Sarah Robertson
Producer, BBC Radio Stoke
Two schools near to the blaze on the Astonfields Industrial Estate have confirmed they're shutting due to the fire.
Image source, Andrew Wilde
St Patrick’s Catholic Primary and Nursery School says it is due to the smoke and fumes from the fire.
And John Wheeldon Primary School has also confirmed to BBC Radio Stoke it's closing early because of the blaze.
Image source, Richard Bransby
Stafford Fire: Pictures as fire crews tackle blazepublished at 12:01 Greenwich Mean Time 2 March 2016
Jack Dowling
Journalist, BBC Radio Stoke
These photos of the fire have been shared with us by @LeanneMacco.
Image source, @LeanneMacco
Image source, @LeanneMacco
Stafford Fire: Repeated warning to keep windows and doors shutpublished at 11:53 Greenwich Mean Time 2 March 2016
People near the blaze are being urged to keep their windows and doors shut by the emergency services.
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Stafford Fire: 50m evacuation zone around blazepublished at 11:41 Greenwich Mean Time 2 March 2016
Chris King
Reporter, BBC Radio Stoke
The fire at the industrial cleaning company in Stafford has been declared a major incident by emergency services.
Image source, Ed Jephcott/Steve Bennet
The latest that we know is:
- The fire is in an oil storage area
- Staffordshire Fire and Rescue service have 12 pumps, an aerial ladder, and a high velocity pump at the site at Global Hygiene
- Everyone has been accounted for but a 50m evacuation zone has been set up
- Fire, police, ambulance, Environment Agency and the National grid are meeting every hour for updates
Watch: Stafford Fire - huge plume of black smoke over townpublished at 11:29 Greenwich Mean Time 2 March 2016
Stephanie Barnard
BBC Local Live
This video of the fire shows just how large the plume of black smoke from the blaze is.
It was taken by Jamie Hickman.
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Stafford Fire: Pictures of the blaze this morningpublished at 11:17 Greenwich Mean Time 2 March 2016
Allen Cook
BBC Local Live
More pictures which are coming in to us of the fire on the industrial estate in Stafford.
Tabs tweeted this photo.
Image source, Tabs
And this is from Paul Gnu Hanson.
Image source, Paul Gnu Hanson
Stafford Fire: Nearby recycling centre evacuatedpublished at 11:10 Greenwich Mean Time 2 March 2016
The Household Waste Recycling Centre in Stafford, near the site of the blaze, has been evacuated, the county council says.
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