A blaze has ripped through a landmark former glass factory in the Black Country just days before it was due to be demolished.

Flames could be seen bursting from the roof of the Royal Brierley Crystal site on Tipton Road in Dudley after the fire broke out shortly after 5.15pm last night.

Traffic was brought to a halt with a 250-yard section of the road cordoned off for several hours sending jams back around half a mile to the nearby Burnt Tree junction.

There were also queues of around a quarter of a mile on the Birmingham New Road.

Firefighters today said the blaze was thought to be due to arson and said investigations are ongoing.

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