SEVEN fire crews attened a double barn fire near Pinvin which destroyed 50 tonnes of hay and two tractors.

Firefighters fought the blaze for 16 hours to stop it spreading to sheds where dangerous chemicals were being stored.

Crews from Worcester, Evesham, Droitwich, Upton-upon-Severn, Stourport and Redditch turned out to support firefighters from Pershore, who arrived at the scene Naunton Court Farm at 8.45pm last Saturday.

At times they battled with flames reaching up to 30 feet high.

Sub-officer of Pershore station Chris Parsons said his crew of five was at the scene all night and stayed until Sunday afternoon. "We had a long, cold night out there," he said.

Sub-officer Julian Jennings from Evesham fire station said that up to 40 firefighters had been at the scene at any one time, particularly due to the fear that a store of sodium nitrate could catch fire.

"The fire was very close to the fertiliser and it is highly flammable, giving off highly toxic gases once it is burning, which are extremely poisonous. It is very nasty stuff."