Anger over exploded garage mess

The site, off the High Street, is full of debris and rusting cars

Residents living near a village garage in Oxfordshire that was destroyed when a gas cylinder exploded are angry the site has not yet been cleared.

Up to 100 homes near Sutton Courtenay Tyres, in Sutton Courtenay, near Didcot, were evacuated during the fire on 30 January. No-one was hurt.

The parish council chair, Michael Jenkins, said vehicles were rusting and the area was an eyesore.

Sutton Courtenay Tyres has been unable to be reached for comment.

About 90 firefighters battled the flames, which were described by eyewitnesses as up to 50ft (15m) high.

Mr Jenkins, who lives in the village, said: "It probably looks worse now than it did immediately after the fire, because obviously lots of old vehicles have rusted and there's debris lying around.

'Electrical fault'

"It really looks as though there hasn't been a real attempt to clear it up.

"Although there is a physical barrier, any determined youngster could quite easily get into the site and of course with all the rusty metal and debris it is potentially dangerous.

"It is in a fairly sensitive part of the High Street and obviously no one wants to see that every morning when they pass by."

The fire could be seen by residents for miles around

Police and fire officers investigated the fire, which forced residents out of their homes for 36 hours.

An Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue spokesman said: "A joint investigation between the fire service, police and forensic scientists concluded that the fire was caused accidentally - most probably by an electrical fault."

If the owners did want to rebuild the garage, a new planning application would have to be submitted, and any work would be unlikely to be completed before the end of the year.