A gas explosion shot twisted metal hundreds of feet through the air and set a car yard ablaze.

The force of the blast rocked the Hythe area of Colchester shortly after 1pm on Thursday and dense black smoke from the ensuing fire engulfed surrounding roads.

Staff at Autobreak, on Haven Road, were working near the canisters when the ruptured steel tubes rocketed past them.

The flames set light to more than 60 cars. Police temporarily closed roads around the yard, including Hythe Quay, Haven Road and Colne Causeway.

Staff had been using cutting equipment near the canisters a short time earlier and it is believed sparks had been smouldering and caught light.

Andy Peart, 29, who works at the car breakers yard, said: "Someone said 'there is a fire in the compound' and we found out the bottle cage was on fire.

"There was a hissing sound and we started getting away from it and then it went bang. I started running and looked over my shoulder and part of the canister was going one way and the other was coming at me and went straight over my left shoulder. I thought I was a goner."

Station officer Dave Bridgman, of Colchester fire station, said: "We were called to cylinders alight and when we got here there were numerous cars set alight."

John Willburn, Autobreak owner, said the fire had destroyed his new stock, which had just come in.

"It is a hiccup to business - more of an inconvenience than anything. It is just the mess it leaves, but we will just get the crane in and crush the cars up."

Motorists faced lengthy delays as roads around the Hythe were closed.

(Right and left) Burned out and very wet - the aftermath of the scrapyard fire

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