100k litres of water pumped from fire-hit gas pipes

About 100,000 litres (22,000 gallons) of water has been pumped out of gas pipes following a fire in the network.

Water got into the pipes after a fire in the gas main broke out on Wednesday evening in Winslow, Buckinghamshire. The fire also destroyed a digger.

On Sunday evening, gas company SGN said 250 homes remained without gas and added that a "large amount of water" had “made its way into appliances in some properties".

SGN said it was drafting in specialist contractors and teams from across the region to fix the problems.

The company said: "We’re very sorry for the ongoing inconvenience being caused.

"Thank you to Winslow residents for your continued patience and understanding."

About 800 properties have been affected, and SG said people who had been without gas for more than 24 hours would be automatically compensated through their energy suppliers.

Residents affected were invited to Winslow Sports and Social Club to speak to the customer services team.

SGN said an investigation was taking place but it was "too early to know what caused the incident".

A digger was destroyed in the fire