More than 100 cars went up in flames in a blaze which devastated a scrapyard and caused damage estimated at around £400,000.

Seven fire crews were called to Bridgnorth Road, Wombourne, to tackle the fire inside a building containing scrap vehicles at Hewitt International Salvage Management.

The blaze is believed to have been caused by a fault in a depolluting machine, used to remove oil and fluids from scrap vehicles.

The fire spread and caused extensive smoke and fire damage to the 45,000squaremetre metal shed. Billowing smoke could be seen for miles.

Bridgnorth Road was closed for several hours following the fire at 12.40pm yesterday, causing tailbacks of more than a mile as fire crews used hoses to pump water from the river on the opposite side of the busyroad.

Paramedics treated one man at the scene for minor burns.