A loosely discarded cigarette sparked a fire on a scrapheap last night which destroyed a pile of car parts and fence panels and threatened to spread to propane gas cylinders.

Crews from Banstead and Epsom fire stations were called to the fire at Beech Cottage in Reigate Road, Ewell, at about 7.10pm.

Four firefighters wearing breathing apparatus tackled the fire and prevented it spreading from the scrapheap to a nearby garage as well as the gas cylinders.

The two fire crews used two jets to fight the fire and were at a garage for nearly two hours.

They believe the fire started accidentally from a loosely discarded cigarette.

A firefighter from Banstead fire station said: “It was a tricky case because it was near propane gas cylinders.

“We attacked the fire and stopped it spreading to the garage.”

A spokesman from Epsom fire station said: “It was a good spot. We could have lost a lot of other properties there.”

A fire investigation team concluded the blaze had started accidentally.

A spokesman from Banstead fire station added: “In the warm weather we would ask people to think about how they dispose of loose cigarettes.”