A FIRE which tore through an industrial unit in Saffron Walden was started accidentally, firefighters have confirmed.

Six fire crews rushed to Shire Hill just after 2.30pm on Tuesday after reports of a fire affecting an industrial unit.

Two crews from Saffron Walden were joined by firefighters from Great Dunmow, Wethersfield, Newport, and Harlow, as well as an aerial ladder platform from Chelmsford and several officers to extinguish the blaze.

In a statement on Wednesday morning, Essex County Fire and Rescue Service said crews remained at the scene overnight and into the morning to dampen down the fire and extinguish hotspots.

Group manager Dan Partridge said: "We are meeting at the site with the building owner and other partners this morning to plan how we will hand the scene over later today.

"I'd like to thank residents and businesses in the area for their patience while we bring this incident to a safe conclusion."

A later update from the fire service said: "An investigation into the cause of the fire was carried out throughout the day. The cause was found to be accidental."

Footage captured by Gareth Davies showed plumes of sky rising into the sky.