Residents had to evacuate their homes today as fire broke out at an industrial unit.

Firefighters from across the district attended the scene at Low Moor, Bradford, where an acetylene cylinder posed risk of an explosion.

Crews from Odsal were initially called to Access Rentals, in Carr Lane, at 10.49pm yesterday after reports of a van on fire.

On arrival, the crew discovered smoke billowing from the workshop of a heavy-goods vehicle mechanic.

Crew manager Simon Moore said at the height of the blaze ten fire engines were there.

He said their work was hampered by the discovery in the building of cylinders of acetylene, a gas which is used for cutting metals.

He said: "It is essentially a bomb. When it heats up in a fire it can explode and it causes us all sorts of problems."

Residents in nearby houses were evacuated due to the fear of an explosion, while firefighters were forced to fight the fire defensively from outside.

Mr Moore said: "We were unable to get into the fire to fight it, but we were able to stop it from spreading to any of the other businesses."

The cause of the fire is under investigation.