Cause of major Aberdeen recycling plant fire remains a mystery

Firefighters spent a whole weekend trying to bring the fire under control

An investigation has been unable to pinpoint what caused a major fire at a recycling plant in Aberdeen over the summer.

More than 100 firefighters tackled the blaze at the Suez plant in the city's Altens area in July.

The site was closed, requiring some waste to be taken almost 300 miles (482km) to County Durham.

The joint fire service and police probe concluded it was accidental, but the precise cause could not be determined.

The fire broke out on a Friday, and firefighters spent the whole weekend in what was described as a complex operation.

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Crews were brought in from Aboyne, Alford, Banchory, Dundee, Montrose and Peterhead to support the Aberdeen teams

At one point on the Saturday, 27 appliances were deployed and residents in the Cove area had water supplies disrupted by efforts to bring the fire under control.

A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: "A joint investigation with Police Scotland into the Altens recycling centre fire incident has concluded. The incident was recorded as an accidental fire with the cause being undetermined".

Firefighters damp down the blaze at the Aberdeen recycling facility in July

Aberdeen City Council said: "The Altens East facility has been severely damaged and will require significant repair. However, in the long-term, it is not anticipated that this will have a significant impact on bin collections.

"Collections have continued as normal and are not expected to change at this time. Contingency arrangements are in place to deal with both waste and recyclables and we can assure our residents that their materials continue to be recycled."