RESIDENTS were warned to stay indoors last night after a blaze broke out at an industrial unit.

Police and fire crews were called to the Cleveland Industrial Estate in the North Road area of Darlington shortly before 10pm after the premises in Forge Way caught light.

The immediate area was closed to traffic and pedestrians amid fears of toxic smoke.

It is understood the fire involved two acetylene cylinders and 200 litres of diesel.

Fire crews were still at the scene this morning, cooling the cylinders down.

At one point flames were shooting into the sky, but fire crews gained control of the fire by midnight. They were expected to remain on scene into today as the premises cooled.

Two families living in the vicinity were evacuated as a precaution.