UP to 100 workers were evacuated tonight after a factory fire.The alarm was raised shortly before 8pm after an electrical motor caught fireat Grampian Country Pork in Elmswell.

UP to 100 workers were evacuated last nightafter a factory fire.

The alarm was raised shortly before 8pm after an electrical motor caught fire

at Grampian Country Pork in Elmswell.

Three fire crews from Ixworth, Bury and Elmswell were called to the fire which was traced to a major electrical junction box in the plant room at the factory site.

Staff were evacuated as standard procedure after the alarm was raised and allowed to re-enter the factory building after an hour to carry on with their work.

A spokeswoman for Suffolk Fire Service said the site engineer had ensured the electricity had been isolated during the incident.

The spokeswoman added: "A stop message was received at 21.20 hours.

"The plant room was clear of smoke, two breathing apparatus are still in use and officers are using thermal imaging cameras to check for hot spots.

"The smoke was in the factory but the fire did not spread. We still have one officer and one appliance at the scene."

A spokesman for the factory, which is based in St Edmunds Drive, Elmswell,

said an electrical motor had burnt out which was believed to the cause of the fire.

He added that there had not been much damage caused by the fire and staff returned to work as normal after the incident.

Grampian Country Food Group was established in 1980 with its first chicken processing business located at Banff in the North East of Scotland, employing 50 people.

The group now operates at 48 different locations and employs almost 24,000 people throughout the UK, Thailand, Portugal and The Netherlands.

It is UK's leading privately owned agri-food business producing fresh and frozen chicken, pork, beef and lamb products for the retail, wholesale and foodservice sectors.