Tipner fire: Smoke smothers the M275 following huge fire at a recycling centre

The pictures show the cloud of smoke covering the area which resulted in the closure of the M275 this morning. The road reopened with speed restrictions in place, however it is currently closed for a second time as a result of the ‘thick black smoke’.

Around 40 firefighters were on the scene of the fire at TJ Waste and Recycling in Tipner at 6.30am with approximately 60 to 100 tonnes of domestic dry waste alight.

A spokesperson for TJ Waste & Recycling said: “We are grateful to Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue for attendance following reports from the public of smoke coming from our Portsmouth materials recovery facility at Tipner in the early hours of this morning.

"Thankfully there were no TJ staff on site. The seat of the fire, which has damaged the building, was in a sorting bay of non-hazardous domestic and commercial waste materials.

"The facility will be closed until further notice – we will be advising customers of the situation. This is the first time anything like this has happened here and we apologise for the disruption caused to the public following closure of the motorway for safety reasons.”