Last night a giant plume of smoke from the warehouse blaze spread across Langley Green and could be seen from as far away as Gatwick Airport.

The thick, black smoke, believed to have been caused by plastics housed in the building, can still be smelt today (Tuesday).

Firefighters from Crawley, Horley, Haywards Heath and East Grinstead battled to contain leaping flames, which earlier threatened to spread to other buildings.

It's feared that much of the giant recycling unit, just off County Oak Way, has been lost to the inferno.

The roof and large elements of the building's structure have already collapsed.

A sprinkler system that should have stopped the flames is believed to have been completely overwhelmed by the speed of the blaze.

The surrounding area was evacuated amidst fears that the building may contain gas cannisters.

A 6,000 litre diesel tank was also believed to be on site and listed as a possible 'incident'.

It's not yet clear what sparked the fire, which ignited at about 5.30pm (Monday) in the household waste section.

Firefighters and cops will check CCTV footage from more than 20 cameras around and inside the depot when the blaze is under control.

No injuries have been reported.

This morning (Tuesday) officers are still at the site bringing the fire under control and County Oak is sealed off to traffic.

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