These dramatic pictures show a huge blaze which raged through 2,000 scrap cars in a Newhaven yard today.

The cars were burning out of control today as more than 110 firefighters battled a massive blaze.

The pictures above - one taken as the blaze lit up the skyline last night, the other after dawn - were shot by resident Michael Derrick.

Twenty fire crews from across the county surrounded the inferno at Jordan's Scrap Yard at North Quay this morning but were powerless to halt the fire.

Fire chiefs said the blaze could go on for two days as several tonnes of rubber and plastic helped feed the flames.

Special foam was used to try to prevent a ruptured fuel tank from exploding. Several gas cylinders nearby were also threatened by the fire, which started shortly after midnight.

An East Sussex Fire Brigade spokeswoman said: "It is far too early to launch an investigation into how the fire started.

"The fire is surrounded but is so huge that it could burn for two days. It is on an industrial estate and so is surrounded by other industrial buildings.

"There are no houses too close, but residents of the town have been advised to keep their windows shut. There have not been any evacuations and no one has been injured."

A huge plume of black smoke could be seen from miles around.

Residents as far away as Seaford were told to stay indoors as it drifted towards the town before moving out to sea.

A fire brigade spokeswoman said: "Because it is a scrap yard we cannot be 100 per cent sure what is burning.

"The plume is blowing towards Seaford so, as a precaution, we are advising people to stay indoors and keep their windows shut."

Residents said they heard loud explosions shortly after midnight as the fire took hold.

The explosions were said to be caused by fuel in the tanks of the scrap cars.

Les Allen, 73, of Elphick Road, said: "Flames were still leaping into the air at 5am. It was quite a blaze.

"Thank goodness the wind was blowing in a westerly direction. Otherwise the whole of the main town of Newhaven would have been under smoke."

Workers at the Jordans yard were today trying to clear the huge tangle of scrap so firefighters could get closer to the centre of the fire.