More than 100 villagers were evacuated today as a cloud of flammable gas hung over their North Yorkshire homes.

A two tonne liquid petroleum gas storage tank leaked, sending fumes into the air at Crambeck, near Malton, North Yorks.

Firefighters who attended the scene were unable to stop the seeping gas and were forced to withdraw to a safe distance.

They were awaiting advice on how to stop the seeping gas from specialist engineers before acting.

The drama began at about 8.45am, and four pumps responded to what a North Yorkshire Fire Service spokeswoman said was a "serious leak".

She added that the service had contacted North Yorkshire Police and asked them to help with the evacuation of affected local residents.

The leak was said to be so serious that police officers were banned from using their radios at the scene.

Firefighters were spraying the gas to try to stop it rising and forming a cloud.

Incident commander Colin Chadfield said the escaping gas was propane, which was explosive, flammable and could cause asphyxiation.

He said because it was not a windy day, the gas was not dispersing and there was a danger it could move down the valley, leading to further evacuations, though the area was mainly farmland.

Mr Chadfield said there was a danger that even thermostats coming on in evacuated houses could set off the gas, and he also warned that the gas could sink into the drains and come up further down the valley.

He added that a British Gas engineer was on the scene and they were trying to work out a way to transfer gas from the leaking tank back into the tanker it originally came from.

Arriva Trains Northern services using the York to Scarborough line were also stopped from approaching the village.

Sergeant Gawen Dickenson, from Malton police, said: "There are some large torpedo gas tanks, the engineer was at them this morning, filling them up and one sprung a leak at that stage. I believe the supply is for the whole village.

"We are mainly dealing with the evacuation, the whole village has been evacuated.

"Residents have been taken to Welburn, we are shortly going up with a street map to check off and hopefully account for everyone."

In Welburn, staff at United Agriproducts took residents in to offices and gave them cups of tea and biscuits.

Villagers were also taken to a nearby factory and to Malton School.

Residents of Welburn were advised not to switch on lights and electrical appliances.

Sales manager Laura Whittle was leaving for work when several women from the village stopped her from driving out.

She said: "You could see the gas like thick fog. Some of the people noticed it and they said we shouldn't be driving through it. It was lying across the road on to the A64. There was no way we could get out."

Crambeck Village, once a Castle Howard Community Home, was a £3 million development established in 1989.