This is what is causing the burning plastic smell in South Ribble and Chorley today

Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service has responded to concerns from the public about the smell, which has been reported in Leyland, Lostock Hall, Penwortham and Chorley

It says the 'acrid smell' is due to smoke from a fire at a landfill in Bury, 30 miles away, where a major incident has been declared.

The blaze broke out shortly after midnight with 10 fire stations from across Greater Manchester called to the scene.

You can watch footage from the scene of the fire in our video player above.

The fire service says a section of landfill about the size of a football pitch has been burning overnight, with homes in Bury told to keep their windows and doors closed due to the smoke.

This morning, people in South Ribble and Chorley took to social media to ask what was causing the pungent smell across the two boroughs.

The Post contacted Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, which has confirmed that the smell is due to the fire raging in Bury.

A fire service spokesman said: "This ongoing incident is causing an acrid smell, most noticeable in areas of Chorley and South Ribble.

"The smell is caused by smoke from the fire. It is not thought to pose a health risk, but please keep your windows and doors closed if you are adversely affected."

The volume of smoke, along with the location of the incident close to junction 3 of the M66, prompted Greater Manchester fire service to declare it a major incident at 5.40am.

Firefighters are continuing to battle the burning waste with hoses whilst heavy machinery is being deployed to break up the rubbish heap.

You can read more about the Bury landfill fire here.