Firefighters were called to Ross Heritage Centre on Thursday, August 13th after billowing smoke set off the smoke alarms and the building had to be evacuated.

Mary Sinclair Powell told the Ross Gazette that members of staff were cleaning up after a very successful children's workshop when "great clouds of smoke" started coming out of the vacuum cleaner.

She said: "Fortunately there were no visitors, just five members of staff from Ross and Hereford. Acrid smoke filled the gallery. We all got out and I called the Fire Brigade."

The firefighters made sure everything was safe and the centre has had the vacuum replaced. Mary added: " It is nice to see that the fire drills obviously work. We were allowed back in an hour later."