The main A146 road was closed for several hours at Yelverton near Loddon tonight after a straw stack caught fire close to the carriageway.Three fire crews spent much of the evening tackling the blaze after the alarm was raised just before 6.

The main A146 road was closed for several hours at Yelverton near Loddon tonight after a straw stack caught fire close to the carriageway.

Three fire crews spent much of the evening tackling the blaze after the alarm was raised just before 6.30pm.

Eyewitness Brian Mitchell said: “I managed to get through on the road soon after it started but before long the road was closed off. The straw stack must have been the size of about three or four double-decker buses. It was well alight and it seemed that the fire brigade were just having to let it burn out with the road still closed.

“The fire crews were also spraying nearby buildings, I think in case the wind changed to stop the flames spreading to them.”