Cause of factory fire remains undetermined

The unsafe condition of a factory which was badly damaged in a fire is delaying the full determination of its cause a week later.

At its height, 100 firefighters attended the scene near Sunbeam Street's junction with Upper Villiers Street in Blakenhall, Wolverhampton, which began shortly after 07:30 GMT on 14 January.

West Midlands Fire Service said it had gathered CCTV footage and identified a room where the fire potentially originated.

However, a spokesperson said: "The structural condition of the building means it is too unsafe to access the scene properly."

Residents were advised to stay inside and keep windows and doors closed as huge plumes of smoke billowed over the city and could seen from miles away.

One person told the BBC he could smell and taste the smoke as he stood in the Mander Centre car park, almost a mile (1.6km) away from the fire.

No-one was injured during the fire and the service said the cause remained undetermined while wider enquiries continue.

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