FIRE, police and ambulance services are holding emergency meetings as a major blaze in Leominster continues to cause chaos.

Following the fire at Skymark International in Glendower Road on the Southern Avenue Industrial Estate in the early hours of this morning, a multi-agency Silver Command group meeting was held at Leominster Police Station at 9.30am.

Staff from Environmental Health will continue to monitor air quality in the Leominster whilst the incident is ongoing and public health officials are being advised with regard to the chemicals involved.

The Fire Service continue to tackle the fire at the site and have deployed some 15 pumps and 75 firefighters from afar afield as Carmarthen under mutual aid arrangements.

Supt Kevin Purcell from West Mercia Police, who are lead agency for the multi-agency response to the fire, said, "Our prime concern at this time is for the health and well-being of local people. We have evacuated some 180 people from homes close to the fire and they are being cared for at the Bridge Street Sports Centre in Leominster."

"For the time being the advice to people in Leominster beneath the smoke plume is stay inside and keep windows and doors closed. Through the media, we will keep the public well-informed about the incident. There are no suspicious circumstances surrounding the cause of the fire."

A further Silver Group meeting is planned to be held at Brockington, Hereford at 12.30pm today and further information will be given after that meeting.

UPDATE Herefordshire Council and NHS Herefordshire can confirm that the Minor Injuries Unit at Leominster Community Hospital has now reopened.