EMERGENCY services do not know how long road closures will be in place in Kidderminster and Summerfield following a major blaze at a rocket factory.

Six crews from Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service attended the Roxel site at Summerfield Lane, off the A449, at about 8.30am this morning.

The site has been evacuated as well as a small number of residential properties on roads neighbouring the site. A rest centre has been activated by Wyre Forest District Council for those who have been evacuated from their homes.

The A449 is currently closed south of the Mc Donald’s roundabout along with Wilden Lane. Wilden School has not been closed and parents are in the process of being contacted by the school with more information.

There are no reported injuries and the fire service are working to contain the fire.

Station commander Phil Griffiths said: “At this time we cannot give a timescale of how long we expect the operation to last but we are working as quickly and as hard as we can to bring this to a successful outcome so everyone can return to work and their homes.

“Currently, we are containing the incident and preventing escalation. We would like to thank the community for their assistance and patience as we deal with the fire.”

Spt Kevin Purcell, leading the policing operation, said: “I hope the public accept my apologies for the closure of the A449 but it is necessary for their safety.

“Police officers are deployed to maintain the cordon places around the site and give support to our colleagues at the fire service who are dealing with the fire itself.

“We are also liaising with local authorities to co-ordinate our response to any community impacts the fire may have.”

West Midlands Ambulance Service also attended. A spokesman said: “Thankfully there are no reports of injuries at the scene.

“The ambulance service has sent a number of resources including the Hazardous Area Response Team (HART). Crews are currently working with emergency service colleagues at the scene.”