Forty firefighters from across Oxfordshire fought a fierce blaze which destroyed a motorcycle workshop and showrooms at Didcot.

The fire takes hold in Didcot today

Homes and businesses were evacuated after an explosion and blaze at Premier Motorcycles in lower Broadway this afternoon.

Andrew Valentine, a partner in the business, said he and a mechanic Darren Green tried in vain to extinguish the blaze which quickly engulfed the premises.

Senior fire officers are investigating the cause of the fire, which happened when Mr Green was repairing a motorcycle belonging to Thames Valley Police traffic officer Pc Gary Froud. Pc Froud later turned up to help divert traffic from the scene.

Oxfordshire Fire Service incident commander, Div Officer Alan Hoar, said: "There was a problem with an accumulation of nine cylinders of propane gas and oxy-acetylene gas which could have exploded any time."

After firefighters brought the glaze under control, fire officers monitored the cylinders with infra-red equipment and a thermal imaging camera until it was safe for people to return to home and offices.

Police closed lower Broadway for several hours while town centre traffic had to filter through the town's side streets.

**More words and pictures in tomorrow's Oxford Mail and on This is Oxfordshire