Crews remain after huge chicken farm blaze

Firefighters are continuing to check on the site of a large fire, a day after it broke out at a chicken farm in Cheshire.

Thick plumes of black smoke could be seen for miles around following the blaze at The Grange on Checkley Lane, near Bridgemere, on Friday morning.

At 08:30 BST on Saturday, two fire engines were still working to damp down any hot spots and monitor the area for signs of any more, Cheshire Fire and Rescue said. No injuries were reported.

Crews will continue to keep an eye on the scene until firefighting operations have finished and an investigation into the cause of the fire can start, they added.

At its height, about 50 firefighters were sent to the scene and residents nearby were urged to keep their doors and windows closed, "due to the large amount of smoke", a fire service spokesperson said.

Crews from Shropshire including from Market Drayton and Whitchurch fire stations were also called to tackle the blaze.

Firefighters said the fire in an empty poultry shed was about 100m (328ft) by 100m (328ft) and covered about four acres – roughly the size of two football pitches, they said.

People living several miles away, including those in Betley and Madeley, as well as drivers on the M6, reported they could see the smoke billowing from the site.

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