The owner of a firework factory where two firemen were killed in an explosion has described how the fatal blaze broke out.

Martin Winter, the managing director of Alpha Fireworks, told Lewes Crown Court he and son Nathan, 25, ran for their lives when bags of fireworks caught light as they packed them into a van for a delivery.

The Winters, both of Marlie Farm at Shortgate, near Lewes, deny the manslaughter of Mr Wembridge and Mr Wicker on December 3 2006.

Support officer Brian Wembridge, 63, who was making a video of the scene, and retained firefighter Geoff Wicker, 49, were both killed.

In an interview statement read to the jury Martin Winter, 52, said fireworks started to go off around him and in the blustery weather the blaze began to spread to storage buildings.

But he claimed when firefighters arrived they ignored advice he and his son gave them and that a policeman threatened to arrest him when he tried to warn fire crews.

The trial continues.