Vehicles damaged after accidental battery blaze

A company said several of its vehicles and trailers, along with some belonging to its staff, were damaged during a fire that involved about 150 tonnes of batteries.

It is thought the fire at WasteCare, in Colthrop Lane, Thatcham, which started at about 19:40 BST on Monday, was ignited accidentally.

Firefighters from Berkshire, along with others from Oxfordshire, Dorset, Wiltshire and Hampshire, responded to the incident. Environment Agency staff visited the site on Wednesday.

FCL Event Logistics posted on its website that the fire next door left a "significant amount of metal debris" across its site after "explosions".

In a statement, it said its staff "acted quickly and calmly to start moving trailers and vehicles out of harm's way."

The family-run company, which supplies trucks and logistics to the events industry, added: "In what has been an incredibly frightening and challenging situation, the bravery, dedication and quick thinking of so many people has been truly remarkable.

"A huge thank you to our drivers, our team, the emergency services and everyone who has been working tirelessly through the night — and who are still continuing to do so — to keep people safe and protect businesses and our local community."

In a statement, WasteCare said it is working with the Environment Agency to find out what happened.

"Everyone's safety comes first, both our colleagues' and the local community's," it said.

"Operations at Thatcham will continue and it is business as usual."