Fifteen homes were evacuated after a car crashed into a house and ruptured a gas main.

The High Street in Ardingly, near Haywards Heath, was sealed off for three hours after a car driver lost control and crashed into a parked car, which then hit a wall, spewing gas into the street.

West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service arrived with police at about 11.15pm on Friday and evacuated the area while gas firm SGN shut off the supply.

Tom Edmondson, 34 and his wife Elizabeth, 35, who live in High Street, were turning in for the night when they heard the crash.

Mr Edmondson said: “It sounded like nothing you had ever heard before – it was an alien sound.”

Outside Mr Edmondson saw his VW Golf had been shunted into his and a neighbour’s garden wall, demolishing both.

He said: “It was shocking and it took me some time to calm down.

“It was a proper drama. Children were crying and people were hysterical. The whole village stunk of gas.

“There were about 15 police officers and loads of firefighters – it was like something out of the film Hot Fuzz.”

Mr Edmonson, who works in car insurance, said his car was “pretty much written off”.

He said: “We have only lived here for six weeks. We moved here from Brighton to get away from the madness and brought it with us.”

Tania Choi, 22, who lives opposite, said: “I heard a muffled boom. I haven’t seen a crash like that in the 20 years since I have been here.”

The evacuated residents waited in the nearby Ardingly Inn for the all clear from the emergency services to return to their homes.

Landlord Steve Marvel, 57, said: “People were quite anxious about what was happening.

“Some were playing cards but others were trying to relax and not think about it.

“I don’t think anyone went outside for a cigarette, though.”

A spokeswoman from SGN said: “Our engineers worked to make the situation safe and repair the damage to our gas pipe.

“We completed our temporary repair and safety checks by around 3am.”

Engineers returned to the property on Saturday to permanently repair the damaged pipe.

Witnesses saw a man walking away from the crashed car looking “quite dazed”.

A spokesman for Sussex Police said there were no injuries and that a man is helping officers with the investigation.

Anyone with information should call Sussex Police on 101.