Elvington: 'Heartbreak' as blaze destroys Ad Astra education centre

The fire at the Ad Astra learning facility at Elvington Industrial Estate broke out in the early hours of Tuesday morning

A learning facility for vulnerable children and adults has been destroyed in an overnight fire, the firm's director has said.

Crews were called to Elvington Industrial Estate at about 04:45 GMT on Tuesday, with eight fire engines sent to the scene.

The blaze involved a unit belonging to Ad Astra, which teaches a variety of educational and vocational skills.

Company director Lyz Shaw said she was "shaken and heartbroken".

She said she had been informed about the fire by one of the other businesses on the industrial estate in the early hours of the morning.

"It has all gone," she said.

"We don't know what started it yet."

A North Yorkshire Fire Service spokesperson confirmed the fire had been extinguished at about 16:30 GMT and said one crew remained at the scene.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service says eight fire engines were sent to the scene

Residents living in Elvington were told to keep doors and windows closed due to smoke drifting from the scene.

The fire service said an aerial platform was used to tackle the flames.

Ad Astra currently supports up to 40 people ranging in age from 11-21 and provides engagement programmes and education.

"We can be a bit of a lifeline to our students, we have children from all different types of backgrounds and those who can't engage with mainstream education," Mrs Shaw said.

"We're getting lots of offers of support and offers of areas where we can work and continue - our main concern is our students because we want to make sure we can care for them."

The director thanked the fire service and other businesses on the industrial estate for their actions following the blaze breaking out.

"We will rise up, as we always say, we've got a lot of support from our stakeholders," she added.