Fire at eastbound Birch Services

Twenty-five fire-fighters tackled a fire at Birch Services on the eastbound carriageway of the M62 on Friday night.

At 10.10pm three engines and a high reach vehicle were called to deal with a fire within one of the retail units inside the services, which had spread smoke  throughout a large part of the building.

As a temporary safety measure residents were evacuated from the hotel which stands adjacent to the services, but were subsequently allowed back into their accommodation when the fire was contained. The eastbound services remain closed.

Fire-fighters used water jets and breathing apparatus to contain and extinguish the fire, and there have been no reported injuries.

The cause of the fire is the subject of an ongoing investigation.