TWO families have been evacuated from their homes after a fire at a workshop.

Crews were called to a vehicle workshop at the Kingsford Business Centre on Layer Road in Colchester at 3.39pm on Friday because of a blaze involving acetylene cylinders.

Monitors were used to help tackle the fire, and officers wearing breathing apparatus were committed to the area of the workshop which contained a range of cylinders.

Part of Layer Road is closed at the Bererchurch Hall Road junction and one fire crew will remain on the scene throughout the night.

The blaze was put out at 8.45pm.

Station officer Dave Barritt said: “A 150 metre exclusion zone is in place surrounding the building due to the acetylene cylinder involved in the fire.

“Two families living on either side of the workshop have been evacuated from their homes as a precaution.

“Hotspots remain at the incident, crews and one fire appliance will monitor the incident throughout the night.”

Crews left the scene at 10.30am.

The cause of the fire is unknown and the police and fire service will carry out an investigation.