Children were led to safety from their school and more than 100 homes cleared after a gas cylinder was discovered during a fire.

A 200m exclusion zone was set up surrounding a garage fire at Oldfield Avenue in Willingdon, Eastbourne, yesterday.

Crews from East Sussex Fire Rescue Service were called to the fire, next to the grounds of Willingdon Primary School, at 8.45am.

The fire was eventually put out but crews remained at the site to dampen down the building and cool the cylinder.

The cordon was taken down at 8am this morning, when fire chiefs deemed the cylinder safe.

The exclusion area comprised parts of Coppice Avenue, Southdown Avenue and Downsvalley Road, along with the whole of Coppice Close, Oldfield Avenue and Downsview Road.

The following roads were also closed last night: Coppice Avenue, at the junction with Southdown Avenue; Tott Yew Road, at the junction with Coppice Avenue; Oldfield Road, at the junction with Downsvalley Road; and Broad Road, at the junction with Coppice Avenue.

For those unable to return home, Wealden District Council set up a rest centre at Trinity Church Hall.

Willingdon Primary School remains closed to pupils today.