Homes evacuated in gas scare

Wednesday 7 May
20.27 London Road, Bath

Residents living on the outskirts of Bath were evacuated from their homes when a strong smell of gas was reported in a number of streets in the area.

Four appliances attended the junction of London Road and Gloucester Road in response to several calls from members of the public.

As a precaution against a possible rupture to a gas pipe a 100 metre exclusion zone was set up. This led to the evacuation of the homes of around 50 people and the closure of several roads

Gas engineers carried out an assessment and deemed it safe for residents to return to their homes after around an hour. The cause of the smell was thought to have been related to a water pipe which had burst under the road, forcing gas from old pipes to the surface.