Leamington Spa fire: Search on hold for man missing in blaze

Large plumes of smoke were seen from an air ambulance

Emergency workers are still unable to enter the site of a fire at a plastics factory to search for a missing man.

Homes were evacuated as explosions occurred during the huge blaze at Leeson Polyurethanes Ltd in Leamington Spa on Friday.

"A specialist search operation will commence as soon as it is safe to do so," Warwickshire Police said.

It said the "complex operation" could take days but the missing employee's family were being kept informed.

"Understandably, there is concern within the community in regards to the welfare of a man who remains unaccounted for following the fire in Juno Drive, Leamington," police said in a statement.

"Unfortunately, emergency workers are still unable to enter the site of the fire."

The force said it had been working with fire investigators and the Health and Safety Executive but it would not be possible to determine the cause of the fire until the site can be accessed safely.

Charred bits of debris fell in the vicinity of the blaze

On Saturday, police warned people against touching charred debris which had fallen in the area, but later said agencies were struggling to clear it all "given the size of the area" and asked residents to help clear it.

The substances were not believed to be hazardous to health, Warwickshire Police said.

On its website, the company said in an updated statement: "We do not yet know the cause of the incident but are working closely with emergency responders, local officials, and our teams at the plant to determine what led to this incident."