FIREFIGHTERS are expected to remain at a recycling plant off Sevenoaks Way until at least the middle of next week.

A digger is being used to load the recycled waste onto trucks to take away from Waste4Fuel Ltd while firefighters dampen down in Cornwall Drive, St Paul’s Cray.

Thirty-five firefighters in six fire engines were called to the blaze which broke out at shortly after 5.45am on Monday. (March 18)

One firefighter at the scene told News Shopper this morning that crews are likely to stay there until at least Tuesday.

Another crew member, from Eltham station, said: “If you move it around it could set fire to itself. It’s not getting rid of anything.

“So there is a JCB down there loading it onto a truck, but you can only load so much at a time.”

The blaze is now one of the longest running fires in Bromley history and has caused major traffic disruption over the past six days.

One lane of the A224 has been closed southbound between the A223 Edgington Way / A20 Sidcup By-Pass Road (Crittal's Corner) and Midfield Way, St Paul's Cray causing long delays during rush hour.

Today, three engines remain at the scene and traffic is said to be queuing down Sevenoaks Way.

Martin Peaple, 24, of Rectory Lane, Foots Cray, said: “The traffic’s a nightmare.

“It’s backed up to Halfords one way and well past the roundabout the other.”

He added: “It seems the firefighters are now concerned about the amount of water running off the site.”

The smell coming from the plant is also a worry.

He added: “It absolutely stinks, it’s like a house fire smell. It’s all household waste – plastics, wood and everything else.”

Officers from Environmental Health and Health Protection Agency have visited the scene to monitor the water runoff and waste and say they will continue to monitor the situation.

The cause of the blaze is being investigated.

This is not the first in December 2011 a fire at a waste site in the same road caused chaos as it burned for three days.

Sevenoaks Way was shut down during the incident which caused an estimated £200,000 to the business.