A BLAZE broke out aboard one of the ships in Southampton docks on Friday evening.

Crews from three fire stations - Redbridge, St Mary’s and Eastleigh - rushed to Herbert Walker Avenue just after 8pm.

The fire started in an 8,000-tonne pile of scrap metal.

In a statement issued the following morning Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service said: "The incident was scaled down overnight with the ship’s fire suppression system in use.

"One fire appliance remains this morning to monitor the temperature, with a number of fire engines expected to return to the scene this afternoon, working alongside the ship’s crew to ensure the fire is fully extinguished."

The fire broke out aboard the Nord Baltic, which was loading scrap at Berth 109.

A statement has been issued today by S Norton, a recycling company based at the King George V Dry Dock at Western Avenue, Southampton.

The statement says: "We can confirm that there was a fire on board the Nord Baltic at our Southampton site which began at approximately 1930. The fire was brought under control by 2130.

"The Fire & Rescue service remained on site, with the assistance of our operators, to ensure all the burning material had been extinguished.

"Thankfully there were no injuries and minimal damage caused by the fire.

"We apologise to our neighbours and the general public for any disruption this incident may have caused.

"Our Emergency Action plan was promptly implemented and the fire was handled promptly and professionally by the fire services, in conjunction with the ship's crew and our own teams who are trained if such instances occur.

"We wish to thank all concerned including the Fire Service, ABP, Solent Stevedores and Norton’s own staff for their response to this incident.

"We will now be working closely with the relevant bodies to investigate the cause of this fire.

"In the meantime, we can assure the public, our neighbours and our supply chain that we have taken all reasonable actions to continue to operate safely and recycle responsibly, and that our facilities are therefore open as usual."