Cannock industrial fire: Residents fled scene 'in absolute terror'

A woman is seen fleeing while carrying a small child

People living near the site of a fire at an industrial site have described scenes of "absolute terror" as they fled the blaze.

Homes near Cannock Industrial Centre, on Walkmill Lane, were evacuated after flames broke out on Monday morning.

More than 40 firefighters were sent to tackle the fire, which has been deemed accidental.

Security camera footage showed debris flying over a boundary fence and damaging a car during the incident.

More than 40 firefighters were sent to tackle the blaze

Kirsty Davies, who lives nearby, said: "You could see people just in absolute terror, running, jumping across all the bushes, carrying their children underneath blankets.

"It was horrible. Kids were screaming. They didn't want to go outside but we knew we had to get them outside and we had to confront it."

Kirsty Davies said people were "jumping across bushes" to escape

Dan Allport, who also lives near the site, described how he felt after the fire, which started at about 06:20 BST.

"Unnerved, worried, anxious - not just for me but everyone else around me that I know. For the children of the street. For the fact that kids are playing in the road most days whenever you walk around here," he said.

Dan Allport said the fire made him feel worried for residents

The site contained a large number of highly-flammable chemicals, which had ignited due to the blaze, Staffordshire Fire Service said.

The site's owner, waste management company Axil Integrated Services, said it was working with the service and the Environment Agency to monitor the situation.

It added it would carry out a thorough investigation to understand the cause as soon as possible.