A digester tank was struck by lightning at the Severn Trent Green Power Plant at Cassington, north of Oxford at 7.20pm yesterday.

Six fire engines, 40 firefighters, four ambulances and police rushed to the scene.

The A40 was closed for a time between Wolvercote and Eynsham.

Residents reported seeing 'orange lightning' and 'a fireball lighting up the sky'.

Oxford Mail reporter Tom Seaward has returned to the scene this morning.

There are no emergency services on the cordon.

A drone is circling and an aerial appliance remains on the site.

A digger is excavating near where the explosion is likely to have happened. 

This morning a Severn Trent Green Power spokesperson said: “We’d like to thank the emergency services for their work overnight to contain and lead the incident at Cassington, where our plant was struck by lightning.

"Keeping our teams and the local community safe has been of paramount importance and we are relieved that no one has been hurt.

"We will continue to work with the emergency services who are still on site as we assess the damage and while the fire is out, we urge people not to come to the site today."

A spokesperson for Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service said: "Firefighters have been there all night and remain in attendance.

"However there are now two appliances and a hydraulic platform on the scene compared to the six crews and other support vehicles at the height of the incident yesterday evening.

"The fire is under control and did not spread.

"Three of five tanks at the scene were damaged."