Blaze brings town to halt

A fire at a disused power station meant a large part of a south coast town was closed to motorists and families were evacuated from 39 homes.

A fire at a disused power station meant a large part of a south coast town was closed to motorists and families were evacuated from 39 homes.

The fire was at a disused power station at Fellows Road, Broomgrove, Hastings, East Sussex. A large number of tyres were thought to have been involved and more than 40 firefighters were involved.

At the height of the fire, late last night, the Hastings to Ore rail line was closed amid fears that a tall chimney stack could collapse.

The families had not yet been able to return to their homes.

The Broomgrove area was also still cordoned off, said Chief Inspector Mike Flynn of Sussex Police, adding that the environment agency had been called in to assess any pollution risks from the fire.

The fire service spokeswoman said the blaze was under control, but there were still around 20 firefighters at the scene, making the area safe.