A HEALTH and safety probe is underway after a huge blaze hit an airport hanger containing dangerous chemicals.

The building, close to the runway at Southend Airport, was almost completely destroyed on Wednesday by a fire that started at about 10.40am.

Fire investigators are still looking into the cause of the blaze, but inspectors at the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) are now also involved.

The hanger is owned by the firm Air Livery, which paints designs onto the sides of planes, and is shared with Shoebury-based Cumberland Packaging.

Managing director John Watson confirmed the blaze took hold in the Air Livery section of the hanger. He said although stock was destroyed it is “business as usual” for the firm.

He said: “The forensics people will be coming in tomorrow to assess the cause and the damage. We had four employees who had to be evacuated with the Air Livery workers. The fire service dealt with it well, they kept it under control. It was good as can be under the circumstances.”

A similar blaze took hold at an Air Livery hanger within the grounds of Norwich Airport in March last year. The Echo contacted the company for a comment, but did not receive a reply.

Nobody was injured as a result of the fire, but smoke was seen billowing above the A127 and could be seen as far away as Laindon.

It is not known how many people were working in the hanger at the time.

A spokesman for the Health and Safety Executive said: “HSE is aware of this incident and we are making enquiries.”

Six crews from Southend, Rayleigh, Rochford, Hawkwell and Shoebury battled the blaze and a water bowser and aerial platform were drafted in from the Chelmsford base.

Crews reported that they had almost extinguished the fire by 12.40pm, but they stayed onsite until almost 9pm, damping down the site.

During the fire, dozens of chemical and paint containers were removed from the hanger.