FIRE chiefs have issued a warning after a gas cylinder stored in a shed exploded as crews were on their way to the scene.

The incident happened in the Sherburn Hill area of Durham on Tuesday evening and was one of several incidents in the vicinity around the same time.

The initial call was to two sheds on an old allotment, but as crews were on their way they also spotted a garage ablaze.

A spokesman for Durham and Darlington fire and rescue said: "The warning is with regard to sheds like these that have been left semi-derelict, please make sure there are no gas cylinders left inside.

"When they are involved in fires they can explode like this one did and obviously pose great danger to our firefighters and to anyone who happens to be around there at the time."

The spokesman said all three fires were being treated as suspicious.

"I believe they are all deliberate," he said. "They were all at the same time in sheds and garages so there is a possibility they will be linked."