FIREFIGHTERS took cover from flying shards of metal as they battled to control a fire that raged through a scrapyard.

Scores of firefighters and 10 fire engines were called to the blaze at 7.15pm on Saturday but were beaten back by a volley of burning debris.

They battled for more than two hours to control the fire at Steves Auto Spares in James Street, Bury, which caused dozens of tyres to explode.

Bury Fire Station's leading firefighter Carl Bostock said: "To access the site we had to break into several yards, because there are a number of scrap merchants down there.

"The main problem was the flying debris. As the tyres and struts exploded firefighters had to jump for whatever cover they could. It was dangerous.

"Hot metal was falling on us, so after seeing that we moved back and used ground monitors which squirt water from the ground and dont need manning."

Access for crews was difficult because the ground and road near the scrap yard are currently under renovation, The area was cordoned off and there was no hydrant so firefighters were forced to get water from a source near the main road.