News
Local area evacuated as fire ruins Skymark Packaging site
More than 85 firefighters were called to tackle a raging blaze at packaging material supplier Skymark Packaging in Leominster, early this morning.
Crews from the Hereford and Worcester Fire Service were called out to the factory at 3.25am after a fire tore through the two-storey building.
Four schools have been closed and local people evacuated due to fear of wind-blown chemicals, as the factory holds chemicals and butane gas cylinders on site.
The fire service is in the process of relieving the first crews who arrived on the site.
Skymark Packaging has three manufacturing sites in the UK in Scunthorpe, Ilkeston and Leominster, which manufactures packaging for the toilet tissue and hygiene markets.
It is believed that the production facility, that housed four high-quality eight-colour printers, laminator and slitting machines, has suffered serious damage in the fire.
However, Skymark production director Paul Neath is optimistic that the finished goods warehouse, located 100 metres from the main facility, has survived.
"The big thing for us at the moment is that no one was injured," said Neath. "We've a duplicate print facility in Scunthorpe so hopefully we will resume operations soon."
