Severe fire damages former Black Country factory

FIRE crews in the Black Country spent the night tackling a blaze at a disused factory unit in Dudley.

Crews were alerted to the incident at the former Batchit premises in Halesowen Road, Netherton at 9.45pm.

Six engines and a hydraulic platform were used to deal with the fire with crews having to pump water from a nearby canal to douse the flames.

Crews from Oldbury, Brierley Hill, Stourbridge, Haden Cross, Tipton and Dudley were all involved in the incident but their prompt arrival on the scene prevented the fire from spreading surrounding units.

The road was closed while the incident was dealt with but it has since reopened.

The cause of the fire, which badly damaged the building is not known but police and a fire investigation team are examining the scene to determine what happened and how the fire started.