Villagers in Mid Sussex today spoke of their relief at being allowed home after spending 24 hours as evacuees.

More than 100 residents in Balcombe, near Haywards Heath, were forced to flee their homes on Wednesday after a bonfire spread to an industrial workshop containing gas cylinders.

Police and firefighters cleared homes within 200 metres of the blaze in Mill Lane amid fears the cylinders could explode.

The evacuees included 60 pensioners from nursing home Russettings and families from 100 houses.

Sussex Police said at noon yesterday the area was safe and villagers could return to their homes.

Doff Cole, of Mill Lane, was working in thenursing home when the evacuation started. She spent the night at her daughter's in East Grinstead.

She said: "I left work at about 4.30pm and I didn't have anything with me, not even a toothbrush or comb.

"They had evacuated quite a lot of houses by then and I was told it was too dangerous for me to go home."

She said: "I was dying to walk through my front door again. It felt great."

More than 40 firefighters were called to the scene on Wednesday after neighbours raised the alarm.

But explosion fears prevented officers from going in. By 4pm police had set up the 200 metre exclusion zone.

Russettings residents were taken by ambulance to nursing homes in Haywards Heath.

Inspector Roy Apps said: "I want to thank local residents who evacuated their homes so swiftly. Their co-operation really did help us to move quickly."