They are tucked away up a secluded dirt track surrounded by unremarkable

second-hand cars.

The old fire engines have an amazing secret - they are almost as regular on the EastEnders set as Steve McFadden or Barbara Windsor.

The vehicles, lost amid a sprawl of smashed-in cars and vans at a yard in Angmering, are used by producers to supply rain.

A jet of water is pumped into the air and comes down in droplets to make it look as if Albert Square is getting a soaking.

Millions of viewers saw the back end of the 1977 R-series Dennis vehicle as it helped put out the flames at Phil Mitchell's car lot fire.

It was also used several times during Grant Mitchell's tortuous relationship with Sharon Watts several years ago.

Mike Ridgley, 25, of Durrington, Worthing, proprietor of the ACW vehicle recovery firm, travels up to the set with the vehicle whenever he is called.

The programme makers put him up in a hotel for as long as his pride and joy is needed, which varies from several days to two weeks.

The vehicle, which Mike bought from a scrapyard for £700 four years ago, has also featured in London's Burning in firefighting scenes.

Mike said: "They are certainly a talking point when people come to look round the yard.

"I think it comes as a bit of a shock to people when they realise what is lurking in the middle of nowhere. They are great vehicles.

"It is good doing EastEnders as it earns you a bit more money and you get roughly £30 to £40 a day to use your vehicle.

"I have seen various people up there on the set including the Mitchell brothers and Michelle Fowler, I haven't spoken to them though.

"They don't just use our fire engines but others as well. I just got a call from an agency years ago. They supply cars and other props for the soap.

"It was a bit of a shock when they asked me if they could use the fire engines. I have to confess I do not really watch the soap myself."

The fire engine was formerly used by West Sussex Fire Brigade as a driver training vehicle.

Mike also has a fire engine which was one of the first at the scene of the Grand Hotel bombing in Brighton in 1984.

It was part of a re-enactment programme of the bombing, which was screened on television to coincide with the tenth anniversary of the atrocity.

Mike said all the fire engines had their original features inside including extinguishers, pumps, uniforms, hoses and blue lights.

An EastEnders spokeswoman said: "There are a number of companies that the set designers use for getting London cabs and fire engines and other props for the programme. We get things from virtually everywhere."