Cordon lifted after borehole gas leak is made safe

Residents from 13 evacuated homes have been told they can now return

A 50m cordon has been lifted as work to make an area affected by a gas leak safe has been completed.

On Tuesday at about 15:00 BST, the leak in Cleat Hill, Bedford, was discovered after a contractor struck a pocket of natural gas while drilling a borehole for a heat pump.

Since the incident, people had been told to keep their windows and doors closed, but residents from 13 evacuated properties have now been told by Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service they can go home.

Group Commander Rob Hulatt, chair of the multi-agency group who led the operation, said the incident was "one in a million".

'This was different'

Crews and hazardous material specialists from the fire service, police officers and the hazardous area response team from the ambulance service have been on site to support the response.

The borehole company will remain at the site to complete the work. Road closures have been lifted.

Mr Hulatt said: "This incident was reported at the start to be a one in a million. Whilst every incident is different, most scenarios we are presented with as an emergency service and an local resilience forum we have usually seen before. This was different, and it has been fascinating working with specialists to plan, prepare and execute this.

"Keeping people safe has always been our main objective throughout this incident... We are thrilled that we had to evacuate only a very small number of properties for a short period of time, and that now all residents in and around the area can go about their normal lives."