AN EXCLUSION zone was set up on a busy dual carriageway after a crash involving a van carrying potentially explosive gas cylinders.

Police closed the A249 near Sittingbourne in both directions after a collision between a Ford Iveco lorry and a Peugeot van which was carrying oxyacetylene cylinders.

Firefighters and police attended the scene and a 200-metre exclusion zone was set up around the crash which happened on the Maidstone-bound carriageway between the Stockbury and Key Street roundabouts.

Oxyacetylene is a highly explosive gas and the cylinders were scanned with a thermal imaging camera before the area was declared safe.

Tim Gibson, from Sittingbourne Fire Station, said: "Acetylene is a shock sensitive explosive and once it was hit there was a potential for it to undergo self heating and decompression of the materials inside which would result in an explosion.

"Had it started to decompress we would have been looking a 24-hour road closure. If it had happened 500-yards down the road we would have had to close the M2 as well. It is such an unstable substance and a shock or bang is enough to start this decompression."

The A249 was shut in both directions from just before 2pm until 4.15pm yesterday causing havoc with traffic in and around Sittingbourne and on and off Sheppey.