FIREFIGHTERS battled to bring a massive barn fire under control last night.

Dense, acrid smoke filled the sky as six appliances from five different fire stations - including one from Hereford and Gloucester fire service - attended the blaze at the Plas Ivor farm in Cross Ash, Monmouthshire.

The fire, inside a large barn containing more than 50 bales of hay, was reported at 7.13pm and the crews managed to stop it spreading to two adjacent barns. The cause is still under investigation.

Asbestos in the barn roof meant a chemical incident unit from Cwmbran fire station was also used. The Environment Agency, which were informed of the asbestos, decided not to issue any guidelines to the firefighters tackling the blaze.

Lower water pressure on the farm meant fire trucks had to make a mile round-trip to the nearest hydrant, at The Three Salmons pub.

Farmer Clive Jenkins, 38, said: "There was 200 bales of hay in the middle barn. We don't know how much of a setback this will be until the winter. "It is the first time we have ever had a fire on the farm."

The Jenkins family have run the farm since 1958. Jack Evans, the assistant divisional officer based at Malpas fire station, said: "The fire has damaged a few sheets on the roof but it was well under control after an hour or so because the guys who got here first worked very hard."

A fire crew remained at the scene overnight.