Leamington fire update: blaze under control and residents allowed back to homes, but man remains unaccounted for

Warwickshire Police said they are pleased to advise that over the last 24 hour firefighters have brought the fire at Juno Drive under control, with residents previously evacuated now being allowed to return to their homes.

But a man who has been unaccounted for since the start of the fire remains so - with his next of kin presently being supported by specialist officers.

A spokesperson for Warwickshire Police said: "The firefighting effort will continue for some time however and members of the public are asked for their continued patience and understanding for any disruption caused during the ongoing operation.

"Police investigations are continuing and a man still remains unaccounted for at this time.

"Whilst road closures and a police cordon remain in place, some roads have reopened and it is hoped that more will become accessible during the day.

"People with businesses or cars within the cordon are now able to enter in order to make their property/vehicles secure.

"Following the conclusion of air quality monitoring, local residents who were evacuated from the area are now able to return to their properties.

"Public Health England are advising all local residents to reopen windows and ensure their properties are well ventilated.

"Debris from the fire has fallen within a large radius of the incident. Our advice remains that debris should not be touched and members of the public should not attempt to clean this up themselves.

"A clean-up operation is being organised by Warwick District Council and will commence as soon as possible.

"This is a large scale operation and therefore we would again ask for the patience and cooperation of those affected."

Superintendent Mike Smith, Warwickshire Police said “We would like to thank the public and local businesses for their swift response and positive engagement throughout the last 24 hours.

Firefighters have worked tirelessly under extremely difficult conditions and have done a tremendous job in bringing this huge fire under control.

It is hoped that things can begin to return to normality, however, the operation is expected to take a few days to reach a conclusion. We are working to minimise further disruption to the public but would appeal for continued co-operation and understanding in the meantime.

This has been a huge, multi-agency operation involving emergency services, Warwick District Council and Public Health England amongst others. I would like to thank all those involved for their hard work and effective collaboration.

Sadly one person remains unaccounted for at this time. Next of kin have been informed and are being supported by specialist officers.

Warwickshire Police will continue to provide updates throughout the coming days via social media channels.”

You can follow Warwickshire Police on Facebook and twitter - @warkspolice.