Investigations were continuing today into a massive blaze that through a bus depot, destroying 50 vehicles.

As reported in yesterday's Evening Times, fire tore through the storage yard early yesterday, causing about £3million damage.

Early indications are that the blaze, which broke out about 2am, appears to be suspicious.

The site, in Greenhill industrial estate, Coatbridge, was used by three local firms – Arthur's Coaches, A Trip In Time and Lindsay of Coatbridge.

Vehicles were reduced to charred, burnt-out shells.

A spokesman for Lindsay said it had not been able to assess how many buses had been destroyed.

George McGrandles, area commander for Lanarkshire for Strathclyde Fire and Rescue Service, described the blaze as "intense."

He said: "Fifty buses was quite an intense fire and there were five appliances there."

Police and Strathclyde Fire and Rescue's incident recording and investigation section is investigating the cause of the fire.

Around 200 people in Cromlet Avenue had to be evacuated from their homes.

Residents said they could see flames and hear explosions from the site.

Around 40 firefighters tackled the blaze and tried to cool gas cylinders inside the yard.

The depot is near a timber yard and the families were evacuated in case the flames spread.

The blaze also caused some disruption to school transport in the region, with about 300 pupils arriving late because their buses were not running as normal.

Alternative transport was arranged to take them home at the end of their lessons.

School runs this morning were understood to be running as normal.