A fire has broken out at a barn in Shabbington, near Thame, this afternoon.

Twitter users posted pictures of large clouds of black smoke billowing from the building, located between Crendon Road in Shabbington and Sheldon Road in Ickford.

The blaze broke out at 3pm and continued for several hours, with 20 firefighters on the scene. Ickford Road is closed in both directions.

People as far away as Carterton, Chalgrove and Blackbird Leys were able to see the cloud of smoke from their homes.

Crews from Bucks and Milton Keynes, who were on the scene along with Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue, warned people in Shabbington and Long Crendon to keep doors and windows shut.

A statement posted on the Bucks and Milton Keynes website read: "Crews from Aylesbury, Waddesdon, Thame, Oxford and Wheatley are currently dealing with a fire in a farm building containing mixed waste in Ickford Road, Shabbington.

"The fire has created a plume of smoke which is visible from many miles away, and residents in Shabbington and Long Crendon are advised to keep doors and windows shut and to stay away from the smoke.

"Thames Valley Fire Control Service received the first of 10 calls to the incident at 3.08pm. There are about 20 firefighters and officers at the scene. Crews are using two main jets to prevent the fire from spreading."

 

 

 

Village resident Jackie Harman said she believed the barn was being used for the storage of plastics, hence the "big plume of black smoke".

She added: "I was out in the fields with my dogs and I could hear this banging and cracking. It turned out to be the barn.

"There are about five fire engines up there. I can't smell it very strongly because I live about half an hour away, but there is still a plume of black smoke and it's been two or three  hours now."

 

 

At one stage fire crews were called to a location in Buckinghamshire where people had mistaken the sight of the smoke for a nearby fire.