The Scottish Fire Service was called to Mossbell Road earlier this morning after reports that a building was on fire.

Upon arriving at the scene it was confirmed the fire started inside the NHS clinical waste facility.

Fire services were made aware of the fire at 8:11am and arrived shortly after as clouds of thick black smoke filled the sky. Smoke from the scene was visible around Bellshill and neighbouring North Lanarkshire town Motherwell.

The site was opened in 2019 and has the capacity to handle 80 tonnes of medical waste everyday. The site receives waste from GP practices, hospitals, dentistries and pharmacies from Lanarkshire and the rest of Scotland.

There has been no confirmed casualties related to the fire and it’s unknown what caused the fire to light.

Residents are advised to keep windows shut and to avoid the area as roads remain closed to allow emergency vehicles access to the site.