FIREFIGHTERS battled a major blaze inside an factory on an industrial estate.

At the height of the fire, which broke out at around 9pm tonight on the Granby in Weymouth, 55 firefighters were in attendance.

The fire was spread across two storeys of the Tecan building, Tecan Way.

Workers were evacuated and there were no reported injuries.

Fire crews used an Aerial Ladder Platform (ALP) to better assess the situation.

Crews were back on scene this morning checking for hot spots, but none were found and the building was handed back over to staff.

A spokesman for Dorset Fire and Rescue said the cause of the fire was accidental. A fault in a motor of the air handling system had sparked the blaze.

She added that the fire had damaged two electrical motors, and there was damage to the roof void, as well as smoke damage to the entire roof void and smoke damage to the rear single-storey extension.

Workers arrived at the units this morning to be breifed on the situation.

John Brookes, a floor layer for Gateway Contract Flooring Ltd said that he had come in a quarter past seven this morning and had limited access to the building.

He said: "There's just water damage, that's all I can see anyway at the moment."

He added that he could still smell the smoke inside the building.

Speaking at the height of the incident last night, fire station manager Andy Cole said: "There is a fire within the factory building. Fifty-five fire personnel are in attendance and seven fire engines.

"The fire is still ongoing.

"There are no reported injuries and everyone is accounted for."

A South West Ambulance rapid response vehicle and a land ambulance attended at the latter end of the incident to support the firefighters as a precaution.

Fire crews used water points along Hampshire Road to quell the flames.

As the Echo went to press last night, station manager Cole added: "At 9pm, Dorset Fire and Rescue Service received a call to a fire at an industrial premises on the Granby Industrial Estate, Weymouth.

"Ten Dorset Fire and Rescue appliances in total, including seven fire engines, attended the incident; two of which were from Weymouth and Portland and the rest from stations across the south west.

"In total, 60 fire service personnel- of which 55 were firefighters- battled the fire.

"Throughout the incident, the fire was contained to the building. It was being tackled by crews wearing breath apparatus.

"The cause of the fire is believed to be an accident.

"But fire investigators are in attendance and will be carrying out an investigation in to the fire to determine the cause.

"No one was injured in the incident and everybody was accounted for."

No one from Tecan was available to comment at the incident last night.

It is the second time in a year that firefighters have been called to Tecan.

In October, the Echo reported that crews made the building safe after a chemical gas leak.