Dramatic picture shows 20 tonnes of rubbish alight in Harefield

A fire at a Harefield skip hire yard damaged a mechanical shredder after 20 tonnes of rubbish caught alight.

The London Fire Brigade were called to Skip Lane at around 9pm on Tuesday (October 30) and took about two hours to get the fire under control.

Posting to a public Facebook group, residents expressed concern that the blaze could spread to the nearby Harefield Oil Terminal.

A London Fire Brigade spokesman said: "Four fire engines and around 25 firefighters were called to a fire at a skip hire yard on Skip Lane, Harefield.

"Approximately 20 tonnes of rubbish and a mechanical shredder was damaged by the fire.

"The Brigade was called at 8.59pm and the fire was under control at 10.57pm, thanks to fire crews from Ruislip, Hillingdon and Northolt fire stations."

The cause of the fire is under investigation.