Huge fire engulfs abandoned college used as BBC filming location with plumes of black smoke seen across city
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
A HUGE fire has engulfed an abandoned college used as a BBC filming location.
The blaze at Henley College in Coventry broke out at around 7.15pm last night, with around 75 firefighters tackling the inferno at its peak.
Sign up for Scottish Sun
newsletter
Sign up
2
The blaze at Henley College
Credit: SWNS
The building has not been used as a college for three years but has since been a filming location for the BBC drama series Phoenix Rise.
Plumes of thick black smoke could be seen from miles away as around 45 firefighters continued to limit the flames this morning.
Residents were told to keep their windows and doors shut as the ferocious blaze chucked dark smoke into the skies above the city.
Some residents even lost power overnight, with West Midlands Fire Service confirming electricity supplies were restored around five hours ago.
A nearby electrical substation had been temporarily shut down overnight in order to "ensure the safety of the site and substation", West Midlands Fire Service (WMFS) said.
Abu Hassan, 26, a data analyst who attended Henley College and lives nearby, took photos and videos of the blaze yesterday and today.
He said: "As I came home, the smoke was right near my house and the area was being cordoned.
"I realised the college was on fire.
"It's a big college for everyone in the community - nobody in the area hasn't been through it in some way.
"There was a big response from emergency services - they worked all through the night.
"But they were very respectful and tried to be quiet."
WMFS said today 70 per cent of the derelict college had been affected by the fire.
In its most recent update at 10am, the service said: "Ten fire engines and two hydraulic aerial platforms remain at the scene as we look to surround and extinguish the fire fully.
"Henley Road remains closed to vehicles.
"Fire Investigation officers will be arriving at the scene shortly to begin their work."
More to follow... For the latest news on this story keep checking back at The Sun Online
Thesun.co.uk is your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video.
Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thesun and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSun.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
a few seconds ago
- The Sun
Rat season is about to begin – keep them away from your house & garden with £3.99 item you just need to sprinkle
A PEST control expert has revealed a simple way to keep rodents away from homes and gardens – and all it takes is a quick shake and sprinkle. With rat season about to begin, the advice arrives just in time. 4 4 The easy – and humane – method is unveiled in a social media post just weeks before cool weather arrives in the UK. That is the end of the breeding season for rodents and signals their arrival around homes and in gardens. This is when the little blighters are at their most active as they search for food and shelter ahead of winter If hungry they will take more risks such as raiding bird tables and bins. And they don't move in at night – they often seek food during the day, particularly if other rats are congregating in the same garden or porch. But fear not, help is at hand – literally. Monster '22-INCH' rat 'as big as a cat' is found in UK home - as locals warned more could be on the loose In a video posted to his Facebook account, Ceith Griffith unveiled a simple and effective way to keep rats from the door. "It's that time of year again, guys ... mice and rats are going to try and get inside your home but I'm going to show you how to keep them out by repelling them," he said in the video, which has received more than 2,500 likes. Ceith goes on to explain how attaching a spray nozzle to a vinegar, apple vinegar or pine salt bottle can turn into the ultimate repellent. "Pine salt works the best but I know a lot of people are allergic to it," he said. "Just take the spray and point it at your porch and anywhere you don't want the rats to come near. "You can use this around your garage or even inside your garage ... and it's going to keep all the mice and rats from coming around your home, or garage or RV." 4 Facebook users rushed to the post to comment and thank Ceith for his help. One person said: "Love UR videos. I watch and write them down. Thank u." A second person said: "Definitely going to try this." A third person, however, said they were looking for advice after encountering another type of pest in their home. They posted: "Hello, how do you get a raccoon or possum out of your loft? Please help." Other ways to repel rats Rats are a nuisance and can be difficult to get rid of but by using the pickled onion hack you can deter them, but other methods can help too, one of which is planting certain plants in your garden that rats hate. One home expert shared: "Plants such as lavender, mint, marigolds, daffodils, rosemary, sage and several others can be planted in your garden to disrupt the smell of a rat. 'If a rat can't smell inside of your home then it is far less likely to try.' For best results, plant these plants along fences, around sheds, and near compost bins or generally anywhere that rodents might be tempted to settle. 4
BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
Rice, two curries and dal: The Indian cafes where you can pay in rubbish
Garbage cafes are springing up across India. The BBC visits the city of Ambikapur to find out how much impact they can really have on plastic – and people. As I approach India's first Garbage Cafe on a cloudy and foggy winter day in early 2025, the smell of hot samosas immediately makes the place feel cosy. Inside, people are sitting on wooden benches holding steel plates filled with steaming meals, some chatting, others eating quietly. Every day, hungry people arrive at this cafe in Ambikapur, a city in the state of Chhattisgarh in central India, in the hope of getting a hot meal. But they don't pay for their food with money – instead, they hand over bundles of plastic such as old carrier bags, food wrappers and water bottles. People can trade a kilogram (2.2lb) of plastic waste for a full meal that includes rice, two vegetable curries, dal, roti, salad and pickles, says Vinod Kumar Patel, who runs the cafe on behalf of the Ambikapur Municipal Corporation (AMC), the public body which manages the city's infrastructure and services. "For half a kilogram of plastic, they get breakfast like samosas or vada pav." I can get food for my family in exchange for the plastic I collect. It makes all the difference in our lives – Rashmi Mondal
BBC News
9 hours ago
- BBC News
Multiple housing offers for Guernsey rough sleeper
A Guernsey man who spent two weeks sleeping rough has received multiple offers of accommodation after his story went 29, spent his first night sleeping rough at the island's bathing pools in St Peter Port, before buying a tent and finding a different spot on the island to received several short and long-term offers for rooms, as well as other offers of support from islanders following an interview with the said he "really appreciates all the nice messages" he had received over the last few days, adding "I'm on the up". Tian said: 'Just remember that, although I got help, there are a lot of people out there that aren't receiving the same treatment I got for speaking. 'Whilst I got a good ending, there are too many local and non-local people going the same thing.'He said it was 'time for the States to start tackling this for its own people'. Housing crisis Homelessness charity At Home in Guernsey said more than 25 new people facing homelessness had contacted it to ask for help during June Charlie Cox said Tian was "not going to be the only" person sleeping rough and there would "be other people in the future", as long as the island's housing crisis Steve Williams, president of Housing, previously told the BBC he recognised the island had a "hidden homelessness" problem and needed to "do something about it".Williams said emergency housing was "a priority" and he wanted to look at alternative emergency housing options to "increase the supply" in the said: "There must be buildings out there [we could use temporarily] to try and alleviate the problem... ideally at a minimal cost".
