The fire started just after midday yesterday (Thursday 8th) and quickly engulfed the whole building. Nearby residents were evacuated as a precaution when it was feared that gas cylinders may have been in the building.

Fire engines from all over Berkshire attended the blaze, and the police helicopter used its thermal imaging camera to direct the fire-fighters to the seat of the blaze.

The pall of smoke could be clearly seen from the centre of Newbury and several roads in the area were closed for most of the afternoon.

The building was packed with cardboard and was the dispatch area for P C Cox, a company specialising in the manufacture of hand-held sealant applicators.

A local resident, who didn’t want to be named, said that they had been dreading this sort of situation for several years because of the proximity of the industrial units to the residential area.