Sixty people have been allowed to return home after being evacuated to the Richard Dunn Sports Centre amid fears that a gas cylinder may explode.

People living near Florence Street, off Leeds Road, Bradford, had to leave their homes last night after the alarm was raised just before 9pm. Part of Leeds Road also had to be sealed off as an exclusion zone was set up by police.

Firefighters turned out after receiving reports of a rubbish fire in the open, only to discovered a purple gas cylinder, believed to contain acetylene, in the middle of the burning heap. The blaze was put out by 9.30pm, but cordons stayed in place.

The initial exclusion zone stretched for 200 metres, but was reduced to 100 metres midway through the night as the risk was believed to have reduced. The cylinder was finally deemed safe at 10am today.

A fire service spokesman said: "We had to stay on the scene until the cylinder had cooled down."