Residents have spoken of feeling 'quite scared' as a gas leak that was first reported last night is still being smelled all over the Didcot area.

A section of Ladygrove Road is closed and police are diverting traffic while gas engineers are on site.

Residents on the new Nobel Park development have been advised to close all windows and doors.

A resident who moved in two weeks ago said: "There has been a high pressure gas leak happening outside my house since last night.

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"We were told to close all windows and doors last night and that it would be fixed in a few hours. However we've woken up and it's still going on. We are getting quite concerned about how much gas is coming out.

"We don't know if we are safe to stay in our houses and are really concerned."

The woman, who has an eight-month-old baby, said: “It’s quite scary. Last night I put my daughter to bed at 6pm and I had had the windows open and I smelled gas. We’ve only just moved in so I wondered if it was the boiler.

“My husband came home at 7 and I said, can you smell gas. He said yes, we’ve got a problem.

"When we bought the house we knew there was a high pressure gas line outside, it was on the plans but we could see a mirage like the sun.

"We rang the gas emergency line and they said they’d had reports. Next thing a gas van appeared and they told us to get inside and close all the windows and doors.

"The gas man said the ground has sunken down and hit a gas pipe on Abingdon Road. We heard someone had reported on Facebook seeing a bulge there earlier in the day.

"We went to bed at 11pm, the gas people had said it would be sorted in a few hours. But we got up about 6 and opened the windows because obviously it’s hot and we could see gas again. I saw this huge billowing airstream again."

Posters on Didcot Community and Didcot Spotted Facebook groups reported a strong smell of gas as far away as Harwell as well as Brent Avenue, St Andrews Road, Vauxhall Barracks, Venners Water, Didcot station and Falcon Drive on Great Western Park.

Some said they were starting to feel ill.

Amanda Attwood posted on Didcot Community Facebook: "It’s really strong on Ladygrove, giving me a headache. Have reported and was told to turn our gas off."

Lydia Lydia added: "We have called gas company and they have had a lot of reports and they are in the area. It's horrible, starting to give me a headache."

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Susie Besford said: "I woke up at 7am smelling a burning bonfire or something, did anyone else? In fact came back from hols in Yorkshire Dales on Saturday, headache and sore throat since returning to Didcot."

Alex Harman added: "I can smell it in Harwell!!"

Dan Brown, spokesperson for gas company SGN said repairs were being carried out to the network urgently after a leak was discovered in the Ladygrove area.

He said: "Our engineers are currently working to reduce the gas pressure enabling the affected pipe to be repaired.

"During this time, a section of Ladygrove is closed to motorists to ensure everyone’s safety. A signed diversion route is in place."

He added: "At this stage, it’s too early to say how long it will take to complete the required repairs."

 

 

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