Mary HamiltonFire fighters were battling a blaze at a recycling centre near Thetford at lunchtime today.Mary Hamilton

A waste recycling centre in Thetford has been temporarily closed after a large fire broke out this morning.

Ten fire appliances, including a water carrier and a ladder platform, were called to the centre on Burrell Way shortly after 10am to battle a blaze fuelled by domestic rubbish.

A fire service spokesman said the fire began in bins outside a transfer building where rubbish from street collections is taken, and later spread to the building itself.

She added that fire crews were using a small mechanical digger to lift up waste and damp it down to avoid the fire spreading further.

By 2pm there were two fire crews left on the scene, turning over the waste and dampening it down.

Although the fire affected the waste handling building operated by Waste Recycling Group, it also forced the closure of the adjacent household waste recycling centre owned by Norfolk County Council.

A council spokesman said the whole site would be closed until further notice and asked people to take their recyclable materials and rubbish to alternative sites at Ashill and Ketteringham.

The Ketteringham recycling centre, on Station Road, Ketteringham, provides the same full range of services as Thetford, including 'Pay As You Throw' for DIY waste.

The Ashill recycling centre, on Swaffham Road, Ashill, is the closest centre for domestic recycling.