RESIDENTS have told how they feared for their homes after an arson attack on a hay barn led to a huge diesel tank rupturing - sending a torrent of fuel gushing through a village before contaminating one of the region's longest rivers.

Villagers said the fire at Back Lane, Helperby, near Thirsk, followed an earlier incident in the village involving a drunken man, where threats were issued.

North Yorkshire Police were alerted at 12.20am on Saturday, as six fire crews battled to contain the blaze to the 700sq m barn, which contained freshly harvested silage and numerous agricultural vehicles.

Firefighters at the scene said they had been forced to drop their hoses and retreat to a safe distance as a nearby red diesel tank split due to the intense heat as 2,000 bales of hay, a tractor, trailers and a van were destroyed.

Police called for air support as fuel ran down the lane and attempts were made to block storm drains leading to the River Swale, but an unknown quantity spilled into the river, which is popular with anglers due to the abundance of fish.

Environment Agency teams were dispatched to the scene and launched an operation to attempt to limit damage to wildlife in the area, which includes beds of rare lamprey and otters.

Police said fire investigators had examined the scene and a man, who is understood to live in nearby Myton-on-Swale, had been arrested shortly before 3am.

One resident, who asked not to be named, said he had been awoken by the roar of the fire, while others said farmers in the area were alerted to concerns that there could be further fires in the area.

He said: "The speed that the fire spread was incredible, people were running around trying to move as much as possible to a safe distance from the barn.

"When the fuel tank split a trickle started flowing down the lane, but soon after it was gushing and the fuel covered the road's width at one point.

"It was deeply concerning due to the amount of fuel passing yards from our homes and the nearby fire could easily have ignited."

Farmer Richard Spilman, chairman of Helperby Parish Council, said the fire had come just five years after another arson attack on dutch barns on the same site.

He said it was particularly upsetting due to the amount of work that had gone into harvesting what had been particularly high quality silage.