Portsmouth gas leak: No return home yet for residents

People were moved out of their homes at Sarah Robinson House on Wednesday

Residents evacuated from a tower block because of a gas leak cannot return home for several more days.

On Wednesday 120 households had to move out of Sarah Robinson House on Queen Street, in Portsea, Portsmouth.

Portsmouth City Council and gas company SGN are now providing alternative accommodation until at least Tuesday.

SGN said the gas leak had been made safe, but that high gas readings inside the building meant residents could not yet return home.

In a statement it said: "We're working as hard as possible to fully ventilate the building, and we'll be using specialist equipment throughout the weekend to extract all gas.

"As soon as our engineers are satisfied there are no gas readings in the building, and the electricity supply has been reinstated and tested, residents will be allowed to reoccupy their homes and we will carry out safety checks to each individual property."

Portsmouth City Council and gas company SGN are now providing alternative accommodation until at least Tuesday

It added: "We understand it's difficult for people to be out of their homes and we're sorry for the inconvenience this is causing."

The company said the safety of residents was its "number one priority" and that engineers were "working as hard as possible to resolve the situation".

The council said its housing officers were contacting all residents to ensure they had what they needed, such as medication, and further support was being offered to vulnerable members of the community.

Following the gas leak some residents were looked after at an emergency rest centre at nearby John Pounds Centre, while others stayed with friends and relatives.

SGN said the gas leak had been made safe, but that high gas readings remained inside the building

The centre is no longer being used as a rest site but is serving as a community hub, with light refreshments available, and activities for children.

SGN is providing vouchers for hot food and supermarkets. It is also offering allocated time slots on Saturday morning for residents to collect urgent essential belongings from their homes.

Darren Sanders, cabinet member for housing and tackling homelessness, said: "I want to thank our residents for their understanding as we work to make Sarah Robinson House safe for everyone.

"This is a serious safety issue and we appreciate how unsettling the evacuation is and the upheaval it has caused."

Specialist equipment will be used throughout the weekend to extract all gas