Villagers had been complaining as long as seven years ago about a back garden workshop which last week sparked a major emergency operation.

The fire at Newland Street, in Eynsham, last Thursday morning resulted in 200 people being evacuated from their homes for the night because of the danger of explosion from gas cylinders.

It also involved dozens of police officers and firefighters as well as the county's emergency planning team.

But it has now emerged West Oxfordshire District Council was warned of the risks by residents who wanted enforcement action taken to shut down the workshop where welding was carried out on motorbikes and lawnmowers.

In January 2000, the council received a retrospective planning application to approve the workshop and machinery store which had already been set up and was in use. The application was refused, but enforcement action to close it was not taken.

The issue came to the council again in 2002 and to the lowlands planning sub- committee last November.

Minutes from that meeting state that the user of the workshop was under the care of Oxfordshire's social services, and that a doctor at Eynsham Medical Group described the small amount of business carried out as "occupational therapy, extremely valuable and vital for his continued well being."

Don Chapman, who lives in Mill Street, wrote to the council in April 2000 urging it to close the workshop and find alternative premises away from houses.

He said: "The enforcement order remained unserved, the workshop grew in size and its contents became so volatile that it required a 24 hour police presence, three fire tenders, a helicopter, the closure of several local businesses and the evacuation of 60 households.

"West Oxfordshire's time-wasting has cost the community countless thousands of pounds. I hope that somebody is for the 'high jump'.

"I hope too, that seven years later, it will encourage the district council to think again about the provision of sheltered workshops, for which agencies tell me there is a desperate need."

A council statement issued today said activities at the site had been monitored periodically for the past five years, but the levels of use remained at a "low or minimum level".

In November, last year it decided there was no need for enforcement action because of a lack of ongoing complaints.

A neighbour in Newland Street, who did not want to be named, said she had complained to the council.

She added: "I am asking for a proper investigation, even getting David Cameron, my MP, involved.

"What was being carried on here was, as it turned out, dangerous to other residents and didn't even have planning permission."

Police said today that man in his 30s, arrested on suspicion of arson, had been bailed for six weeks in the care of an agency.