FIRE investigation officers will today continue to examine how two hundred tonnes of household waste went up in flames at a Newport recycling plant.

The fire broke out at the Sims Metal recycling plant at Alexandra Dock, Newport, at around 1.15am, when a stockpile of household electrical equipment, ranging from toasters to lawnmowers, caught light.

The old electrical goods were awaiting recycling at the time.

Fire investigation teams say they still have no idea how the fire started.

This is the third fire at the site since September.

A Sims Group spokesman said: "We take health and safety in the workplace extremely seriously and have immediately commenced our own inquiry into the incident."

Six fire engines and around 30 firefighters were sent to the scene and the fire was well alight when they arrived.

At the height of the fire, at around 4am, there were around 70 firefighters, eight fire engines as well as water bowsers and other specialist appliances.

It took firefighters around seven hours to put out the blaze and 25 firefighters remained on the site this morning, damping down.

Diggers were used to turn over the piles of charred metal and melted plastic to find any remaining hotspots.

Alison Kibblewhite, group manager for South Wales Fire and Rescue, said fire crews remained on site for most of the morning, and returned later in the day to check the site.

She said: "It is lucky the site of the fire was on open land, well away from any buildings, otherwise we would have needed a much bigger operation."

She said most of the waste, which included vacuum cleaners, toasters, VCRs and other electrical household goods had been stripped down to metal and plastic.

Police and an ambulance also attended the blaze as a precaution, but no-one was injured.

The Environment Agency also attended, but fire officers said the wind carried the main plume of smoke across the Channel and away from the city.