RESIDENTS living near a massive fire at a plastics factory have desribed hearing "bangs" and sounds like a "gunshot" and described feeling a "shockwave".

The fire service have been mobilised this morning (Monday) to a large fire at a plastics factory this afternoon - with dozens of people ringing 999 to report the massive smoke cloud.

Plumes of smoke are visible from Bradford and can be rising in the air from a fire at Mould, Patterns and Models Ltd, a plastics factory on Swinnow Lane, Bramley.

One nearby resident called Will, who lives on Swinnow Drive about 300 metres from the fire, said: "My back garden looks straight over to the plastics factory.

"I heard what sounded like bangs and detonations which woke me up at 11.30am," he said. "Whatever it was it sounded likes it was combusting all at once.

"I heard was sounded a gunshot screaming and felt a shockwave in the house. The windows rattled.

"The smoke was pitch black and at one point I saw a fireball.

"It smells awful. You can definitely tell it's from a plastics factory.

"I've shut all my doors and windows. 

"The police have come around and have been telling people on my street to evacuate their homes."

One nearby resident was understandably shaken by the incident.

As she stood on a bridge overlooking the huge blaze, she told the Telegraph & Argus: "There were just thick black plumes of smoke and then explosion after explosion, then obviously the emergency services came really quick.

"I live two doors down and it was quite frightening because you don’t know what’s happening. It was thick black smoke.”

A spokesperson for the West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said: "We received dozens of calls about a fire at around 12 o'clock."

The company is also known as MPM Bradford.

A full statement about the blaze is anticpated shortly.