Two men were rushed to hospital after petrol pumps they were dismantling exploded.

Contractors were working at the Roselands tip in St Philip's Avenue, Eastbourne, when the incident occurred.

Surrounding homes were evacuated as a precaution following the blast at 1pm yesterday.

The pumps, which were being taken away by contractors, had been used to fill police vehicles but were out of commission.

They were being dismantled and the area concreted over by contractors when they caught fire.

A spokesman for Sussex Police said: "We are not sure exactly what happened at this stage but for whatever reason it would seem a fire broke out.

"The two men who had been working there were taken to Eastbourne District General Hospital."

One man, in his 30s, was burnt on his face, arms and head. The other, a teenager, was burnt on his arms and face.

They were treated with gel packs, given pain relief and checked for the effects of smoke.

Piles of rubbish were metres away from the pumps at the municipal tip run by Sita and East Sussex County Council.

It was closed for the rest of the day as a precaution. The road was closed as firefighters specialising in petrol clearance ensured the area was safe.

A fire brigade spokeswoman said crews had sprayed foam into the tank in an effort to prevent any more petrol igniting. Two crews from the Eastbourne station attended.

The cause of the blaze is likely to be investigated.