Black Country gas smell: Cause unknown after schools evacuated

Cadent is yet to find the cause of a strong gas-like smell in the Black Country (generic image)

The cause of a gas-like odour which could be smelt across a wide area, prompting a number of emergency calls, is still being investigated.

West Midlands Fire Service said it received 20 requests from Black Country people reporting the smell.

Crews were sent to a doctors surgery and three schools, two of which were evacuated.

An elderly man and woman were also understood to have been taken to hospital with breathing difficulties.

The calls came from Wednesbury, Walsall and Tipton on Monday morning.

Elliott Nelson from gas company Cadent said it had yet to find the cause despite working through the night.

"Yesterday we received an unprecedented amount of calls in Tipton and the local area about a smell that people were concerned was natural gas," Mr Nelson said.

"We have found no evidence that the smell is caused by natural gas."

The Cadent boss said investigative work would continue.

"Our concern in incidents like this is that, in amongst the smells that are not gas, there may be an isolated and unrelated real gas leak," he continued.

People have been urged to phone the national gas emergency service on 0800 111 999 if they ever smell gas, suspect the presence of carbon monoxide, or notice damage to gas pipes.