HUNDREDS of people were evacuated from a main shopping street as firefighters raced to avert an explosion.

Three workmen were rescued from the roof of the former Littlewoods store in Week Street, Maidstone, where fire broke out, at about 11.05am, on Wednesday. Police set up a 200m cordon around the area, amid fears gas cylinders on the site could explode.

Kent Fire and Rescue Service sent 40 White Watch firefighters in eight fire engines from Maidstone, Borough Green, Larkfield and Gillingham, plus a "height vehicle" and command support unit.

Three workers were initially reported missing as smoke filled the building but were soon discovered trapped on the flat roof. Firefighters put a ladder up from Union Street so they could climb to safety, while others worked to get the blaze under control.

Station Officer Glen Theophanides, from Maidstone Fire Station, said: "When we got there, the ducting was alight in the building and the flat roof. Fortunately, the crew was quick in containing the fire and removed three oxy-acetylene cylinders and a propane cylinder, which carry a risk of explosion.

"When they go off, they go off like bombs. It would have caused substantial damage to buildings in Week Street."

Crews wearing breathing apparatus removed the cylinders from the building after containing the blaze. The fire caused damage to internal air ducts and to the roof.

One of the workers who had been trapped, Ricky Barnett, said: "We were up there when the fire began. We thought it was only small and we could put it out ourselves, but it became really smoky and just engulfed us."

Workmate Gabriel Jones, 33, said: "We couldn’t get down inside the building because of the smoke, so we went down a fireman’s ladder."

Among the premises evacuated were C&H Fabrics, Chelsea Building Society, DX Communications, Bradford and Bingley, Shoe Zone and the United Reformed Church, where a coffee morning was being held.

Week Street and Union Street were reopened at about 12.40pm.