Cowbridge 400-tonne clothing fire tackled by crews

Forest Products is a timber merchant in Cowbridge

Firefighters are tackling a blaze involving 400-tonnes of clothing awaiting recycling in the Vale of Glamorgan.

People have been warned to keep their doors and windows shut due to the amount of smoke coming from the blaze at timber merchants, Forest Products, in Crossways, Cowbridge.

A South Wales Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said they were called at 23:25 BST on Sunday.

There have been no reports of injuries.

At its height, 38 firefighters were at the scene of the fire. About 20 are still there.

They were facing "challenging conditions" and working with Natural Resources Wales, South Wales Police, Welsh Water and the council to ensure the blaze does not spread to adjacent buildings.

"At the height of the fire there were nine appliances in attendance, equipped with crews who are continuing to work swiftly and safely with minimum disruption to local businesses and homes," a spokeswoman said.

"Nearby residents are being advised to avoid the area and to keep their doors and windows closed due to accumulating smoke."

Arianne Brumwell lives in the area and told Claire Summers on Radio Wales: "I can see smoke in the distance right now.

"I was driving back last night from Cardiff and you can see six plumes of smoke... orange flames from where there's clearly been quite a big fire.

Fire crews were called at 23:25 BST on Sunday

"You could tell it wasn't just a rubbish fire... I slept with windows round the house open last night and woke up with a really thick smell of smoke in the air... it smelled like I'd been at a wood fire and my clothes just smelled of burning."

South Wales Fire and Rescue has tweeted the fire is now under control, but local residents are still advised to avoid the area and take precautions.