The demolition of a warehouse near St Mary's Stadium destroyed by a huge fire earlier this year has finally begun.

On Tuesday afternoon, a digger was seen clearing debris at the site of the former plastics factory on Marine Parade, which caught alight on March 6.

The city's sky was filled with smoke as firefighters from across the county rushed to the scene of the inferno after the alarm was raised just after 1pm.

READ MORE: Drone footage shows aftermath of warehouse fire next to St Mary's

(Image: Definitelyblurredphotography) For three months the pile of twisted metal and brick has laid dormant, an eyesore next to one of the city's most iconic landmarks and home to its football team.

But now work has begun to clear the space, which The Echo understands will last around five weeks.

Leon Gill, crew manager of Green Watch - the team on shift at St Mary’s Fire Station at the time of the fire previously said: "I thought to myself, 'That's a big fire - one of the biggest I have seen, in terms of size and intensity in the short amount of time'."