A tip in Letchworth has been temporarily closed after a fire which destroyed staff offices at the site.

Hertfordshire County Council – which manages the site – has announced this morning that it hopes to reopen the household waste recycling centre on Blackhorse Road on Thursday, after a fire overnight on Friday which is being treated as suspicious.

The centre – which is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays – has been a bone of contention over the past six months with many drivers venting their frustration after sitting in long queues to enter the site.

Councillor Richard Thake, who is responsible for waste management at County Hall, said: “We’re working with our colleagues in the fire service and police to investigate the cause of last weekend’s fire and we understand that at this time it is being treated as suspicious.

“We are working hard to get a replacement temporary accommodation in place for site staff and I’m hopeful that the centre will be operating as normal on Thursday.

“In the interim, residents can visit our centres at Royston and Stevenage.

“As always, it’s best to check your local centre’s opening hours before you travel.

“I also encourage you to pre-sort your waste if possible as this should help reduce the amount of time you need to spend on site once at the centre.

“I’d like to thank residents for their understanding.”

For more details on opening times visit www.hertsdirect.org/wasteaware.