firefighters set up exclusion zone around Tilbury Power Station after a gas cylinder caught alight inside the plant, amid fears it might spark an explosion.

Fire crews kept an overnight watch on the power station after being called to the site at 4.30pm on Monday to deal with a fire.

Essex Fire and Rescue Service divisional officer Mark Samuels said: "The cylinder was flaming from the gauge and the flames were impinging on a nearby oxygen cylinder.

"A 200-metre exclusion zone was set up, because of the risk of explosion."

Essex Fire and Rescue crews and the power station's own staff worked together to monitor the incident through the night.

Two crews from Orsett fire station, one from Grays and an aerial ladder platform from Harlow were involved.

The power station, in Fort Road, is run by the company RWE Npower.

The firm's corporate communications spokesman, Jennifer Crawford said: "There was a minor fire and the fire service was called as part of standard procedures. The fire was quickly extinguished.

"There were no injuries. As the incident was located outside the main power station building, there was no disruption to our generation operations.

"We will carry out a through investigation into the cause of the fire once the exclusion zone has been removed."