TWELVE crews from across three counties battled a huge fire in an industrial unit in north Dorset.

Emergency services were alerted at 4.43am to the fire, just outside Stalbridge.

Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue confirmed there were hazardous materials at the site, including diesel, acetylene cylinders, paint and resin.

A plume of smoke could seen for several miles and residents in the area were urged to keep all doors and windows closed.

Crews attended  from several stations including Sturminster Newton, Sherborne, Yeovil, Westbourne, Blandford and Wincanton.

They included two aerial ladder platforms, a water carrier, a command support unit and an environmental protection unit.

A spokesman for the fire service said: "We were called to Gibbs Marsh Trading Estate, Stalbridge at 4.43am this morning, where a single storey industrial unit was well alight.

"The incident is on-going, there are no reported casualties, and crews worked hard to contain the fire to the one building and prevent any spread to adjacent property.

"There was a lot of smoke rising from the fire, and we were warning local people to keep doors and windows shut as a precaution."

The incident was scaled back to six fire engines just after 9.30am, then to two pumps and an aerial appliance which remain at the scene.

A fire investigation will take place.