HUGE plumes of smoke filled the sky above Greenock this evening after a large blaze took hold outside a local school.

An eyewitness told the Telegraph they saw several rolls of what appeared to be AstroTurf on fire at a spot on Cumberland Road, near Inverclyde Academy, just before 7pm.

(Image: George Munro)(Image: George Munro)

Fire service personnel were seen battling the fierce flames, which emitted a tall cloud of thick black smoke that could be seen from as far away as Pennyfern.

Two fire engines are understood to have been dispatched from Gourock to help contain the blaze after the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service were alerted to a fire in the open at around 6:50pm.

(Image: George Munro)

An eyewitness told the Tele: “It looks like big rolls of Astro have been set on fire, there are videos doing the rounds of the big column of smoke.

“It was a very dramatic fire and there was lots of smoke.

“The fire service seem to have it under control now, but it was some cloud of smoke.

“You could probably see it from miles around.”