A fire smouldered for three months after a blaze which destroyed a paper shredding plant in Rackheath.

Engineers arrived at PHS Datashred at Rackheath Industrial estate on Wednesday to find bales of paper continuing to burn, 12 weeks after the fire.

The paper was left to smoulder amid fears the building could collapse.

Peter French, managing director of engineers, Canham Consulting said the paper held so much heat that when it was raked the rubbish ignited again.

He said: 'It surprised everybody. The metal wire holding the bales melted and they ended up as a heap of shredded material. Every time it got disturbed it sparked. The heat retention is huge. We couldn't do anything about it. When you consider it was a wet April it is amazing it went on until last week.'

The remains of the ravaged building are now being knocked down and the site will be cleared and rebuilt at an estimated cost of �800,000.

Engineers expect the site to be cleared by the end of this week, with the remains of the roof and poles being cut down and scrapped.

Engineers will also look at if the foundations and floor can be used for the new building.

At its height, 60 firefighters and 13 crews battled the fire on Wendover Road on February 29.