BILLOWING black smoke which poured from a blazing Cwmbran plastics plant, pictured, could be seen as far away as Abergavenny.

Eighty firefighters battled to bring the fire under control on Saturday, after a storage area and oil tank caught fire at the AMF Polymers plastic reclamation factory on the Avondale Industrial Estate.

Thick smoke spread to over 200 feet, attracting scores of onlookers.

Gwent Police officers sealed off the area and the fire was finally extinguished at 8pm and fire crews remained at the scene overnight.

Sergeant Steve Woolaway, from Cwmbran police, said: "We have no idea how the blaze started but as soon as it is possible we will be looking into the cause with fire investigators."

South Wales Fire Service station officer John Brewer said: "This was a potentially dangerous fire and it was fortunate that there was no one working in there."

AMF works manager Vincent Horrell, 54, from New Inn, said: "We should be all right but I just hope that we haven't got to close down and that there is no smoke damage inside the building."