Emergency services receive calls about glowing orange cloud

Hampshire Fire Control have said they have received hundreds of calls from concerned members of the public regarding a pulsing orange cloud of smoke that has been seen in the skies across Hampshire.

Smoke clouds from Fawley refinery seen from Mudeford. Picture: Echo Camera Club Dorset member Penelope Soufflè

The bright light was seen across the county prompting many to take to social media and even phone the emergency services, while the large cloud could be seen from across the Dorset border in Mudeford.

One Twitter used even said that the ominous orange glow could be seen from Cowes in the Isle of Wight.

Hampshire Fire Control said in a Tweet: "We have received hundreds of calls to an orange glow in the sky near Southampton - Fawley Refinery are flaring off which is creating a spectacular glow in the sky."

It is believed that the evening temperature last night caused the excess vapour cloud to lie-low and was slow to disperse causing a large cloud above to glow bright orange.

In a statement on their website, a spokesperson from Fawley Refinery said:

"We want to give an update to our current operations.

"Due to an interruption in operations  we are currently flaring and we anticipate that this will continue for a number of hours.

"We apologise to our local residents for any concern and inconvenience caused by the flaring and associated noise.

"We are doing all we can to resolve the situation and are taking a series of measures to minimise the flare.

"Flaring is a safe, controlled and environmentally approved way of burning off excess gas which would normally be recycled and used in our operating processes."