Householders were told to stay inside after toxic fumes escaped from a Shipley electronics firm last night after a power cut.

Specially trained firefighters were called to Filtronic plc in Saltaire after the poisonous gas alert.

Fire crews arrived at 7.57pm after a power cut in the village meant an extraction system in acid and salt baths closed down, causing them to overheat.

Sub-officer Richard Hewitt, of Shipley Fire Station, said when they arrived they could see fumes escaping from the building, which had already been evacuated.

He said fire service crews liaised with Filtronic staff before two Shipley firefighters, along with three workers, went back into the building wearing chemical protection suits.

"They covered the baths up to stop fumes leaking and went in with detection equipment," he said. "They also drained the baths off."

Police told people living in the Salts Mill Road area to keep their doors and windows shut because of the toxic fumes. A spokesman said today no one needed to be evacuated.

Six fire crews from throughout the area, as well as a special unit with equipment to deal with hazardous materials, were called to the factory to be on standby, though the incident was dealt with mainly by Shipley and Bingley crews.

When power was restored, workers were allowed back inside the building. No one was injured.

A spokesman for Yorkshire Electricity said the power to 638 customers in Saltaire and Shipley went off at 7.24pm following a high-voltage cable fault.

Filtronic company secretary Chris Schofield said the firm sent a team of three trained experts into the factory as soon as the power cut occurred and the premises were evacuated.

They were sent to a silver plating process area where a chemical reaction was causing the toxic fumes.

They removed the product from the line and then dealt with the chemical reaction.

Mr Schofield they had acted in an "exemplary manner" and paid tribute to the efforts of the fire service.

He said an investigation was due to take place today into the incident and the firm's response.

He could not confirm exact details about the gases which did escape but said they were not thought to be highly toxic.