QUICK-thinking nightclub staff averted a potential disaster after evacuating 400 revellers in the early hours of Saturday.

Management and door staff at town centre club Odyssey took just four minutes to get everyone out after an electrical box began sparking and producing toxic fumes.

Two fire crews attended the incident at about 1am and told staff to evacuate everyone because of the risk of fire and the fumes.

Assistant manager Dave Rogers said: "A very strong smell of burning was brought to our attention. We immediately went down to the main electricity source in the cellar.

"There was smoke coming from the fuse boxes and one of the fuses was sparking, so we called the fire brigade out."

Mr Rogers said it was decided to evacuate the building immediately because of the dangerous situation.

He added: "We evacuated the building in four minutes and it was very professional.

"If the three-phase fuse board had gone completely, it would have thrown the club into darkness which could have created panic and it could have been more serious."

Police attended the evacuation and said the incident passed without trouble.

The club remained closed for the night and electrical engineers were called.

A GPU Power spokesman said: "It was an underground cable fault and the engineers replaced the equipment."

The club was re-opened on Saturday night.