A school has been evacuated following a fuel tanker fire in Telford.<\/p>\n
West Mercia Police said flames broke out on Marlborough Way in the Newdale area just after midday on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Children from Newdale Primary School, situated on the same road, were taken to a nearby Morrisons supermarket to be picked up by their parents, with one telling the BBC that the pupils’ playground had been “engulfed in smoke”.<\/p>\n
Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service advised people to stay away from the scene and asked those living nearby to keep all windows and doors closed.<\/p>\n
Natasha Jones, who lives close to the scene, said she saw black smoke coming from the area while she was at work.<\/p>\n
“I obviously panicked because my son attends the school there and I live there,” she said.<\/p>\n
After being reassured by the school that the children were safe, Jones returned home and said there were “fire engines everywhere”.<\/p>\n
“All I smelt walking home was petrol,” she added.<\/p>\n
Jacob Hill, the parent of a Newdale Primary School pupil, praised the way the school handled the situation.<\/p>\n
He said when he picked up his child, he was told the whole playground had been “engulfed in smoke” and the school had acted quickly to get the children to run to safety.<\/p>\n
The headteacher then worked with local businesses to get them into shelter until they could be picked up.<\/p>\n
Hill said the incident had been “very frightening” and many children were crying when parents arrived.<\/p>\n
But he added: “The way that it has been handled by Newdale Primary School was absolutely exceptional.”<\/p>\n
Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service said it had sent nine vehicles to deal with the fire.<\/p>\n
West Midlands Ambulance Service said one man was assessed at the scene before being taken to hospital for further care.<\/p>\n
Nobody else needed attention, it said.<\/p>\n
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