The family in the headlines after a poisonous gas was released when their shed caught fire say the media has "made a mountain out of a molehill".

Lesley Brind, and her husband, David, are angry about "scaremongering" reports of Wednesday night's fire at their home in Ock Drive, Berinsfield.

As a result of the fire, 26 people, including 18 firefighters and four ambulance staff, went to Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital for check-ups after water from fire hoses reacted with pest-control pellets, generating poisonous phosphine gas. Mr Brind, 42, used them for killing moles when he was a pest control worker four years ago.

Police are investigating the incident.

The morning after the fire, on what was their 21st wedding anniversary, the couple, and sons Ashley, 17, and Danny, 13, woke to find television cameras in their back garden and journalists on their doorstep.

Six small tubes of the aluminium phosphide pellets were stored inside a tin.

Teacher Mrs Brind, 40, said: "There was no evacuation. Some of our neighbours stayed in and just closed all the doors and windows. And it wasn't until about 2am that anyone came to remove the pellets.

"That shows how dangerous the situation was.

"By 11.30pm, they had checked with a detector and said it was all clear. I was told that the fire crews went to hospital just as a precaution. No-one was coughing or spluttering, and the paramedics didn't come anywhere near the fire."

She said neighbours Ian MacIntyre and Johnny Smith stood on a wall and used hospipes to keep the flames at bay before the fire brigade arrived. About 100 people gathered to watch.

Mrs Brind said: "We had to insist on Johnny going to hospital, he didn't want to go. I rang the hospital at 5.30am and they told me everyone was discharged except two who were asthmatic."

People brought flowers and drinks for the family and offered them spare rooms.

"People here are so genuine," said Mrs Brind.