A fire has torn through a food factory in east London, destroying large parts of a warehouse.

About 120 firefighters and 20 engines have been called to the blaze on an industrial estate in Orient Way, Leyton, which started at about 5am on Saturday.

Plumes of black smoke coming from the food factory, which belongs to Indian food manufacturer UK Snacks Ltd, could be seen for miles around.

London fire brigade said its crews were still working to extinguish the fire several hours after it started and have told residents in the area to keep doors and windows closed.

0830 attended #Leyton #London E10 to assist @LondonFire with aerial views of a large fire. LFB working hard to tackle the blaze. JM pic.twitter.com/5f9Eduvc05 — NPAS Redhill (@NPASRedhill) June 23, 2018

The food factory was purpose-built for UK Snacks, which claims to have brought Bombay mix to Britain, after the company was forced to move from its previous site in Stratford because of the Olympics.

The business, which is more than 30 years old, manufactures Bombay mixes, nuts, sweets and savoury snacks, according to the company’s website.

In a statement on Saturday morning, the LFB station manager Rod Wainwright, said: “There are large volumes of smoke. I would advise all nearby residents in the area to keep their doors and windows closed until the smoke plume has diminished.”