FAMILIES had to spend the night in a Slaithwaite pub after a mill fire broke out.

Around 20 residents of Brook Terrace at Crimble slept in the nearby Swan after the blaze started.

More than 50 firefighters – some from as far away as Bradford – were called to Clough Road Mills at 10.30pm last night.

The blaze took hold on the third and fourth floors of the derelict four-storey mill on the edge of Slaithwaite.

“I looked out my window and saw the flames quite high above the mill,” said mother-of-two Victoria Burgess of Brook Terrace.

“About 11pm the firemen came round and knocked on our front doors and told us we had to evacuate.”

Mrs Burgess, 31, and her 38-year-old husband Craig woke their children Alfie, 4, and Lucy, 2, and took them to the nearby Swan pub.

The family were joined by around 15 other neighbours who had to flee from the fire.

The residents spent the night in the pub. “The kids were quite happy on the floor and we got to sleep around 3.15am,” said Mrs Burgess.

Around 50 houses lost their electricity supply during last night’s fire.

Huddersfield station commander Dave Teggart explained: “There’s an electricity sub-station on the ground floor of the mill which meant we had to cut the power at around 2am.”

Workers from Northern Powergrid will visit the scene this morning.

A structural engineer from Kirklees Council is also due to arrive in Slaithwaite this morning to decide if it’s safe for the residents of Brook Terrace to return to their homes.

A short stretch of Clough Road next to the mill is closed this morning, meaning motorists are unable to get from Slaithwaite to the M62 via Scapegoat Hill.

Drivers wishing to reach the motorway can go through Huddersfield.

Three fire crews are damping down the flames this morning using an aerial appliance. The cause of the fire is being investigated.

If you've got video or pictures of the blaze and want to share them with us, email barry.gibson@examiner.co.uk

Read the full story in Monday’s Examiner.