Thousands in Silsden face second day without gas

A drop-in centre has been set up and shower facilities provided at Keighley Leisure Centre

Thousands of people in West Yorkshire are facing a second day without gas supplies.

More than 3,000 homes were cut off in the Silsden area, near Bradford, on Friday, after a gas main was damaged by a third-party contractor.

Northern Gas Networks (NGN) said it was working around the clock but the issue could take "a number of days" to fix.

Red Cross and community volunteers are providing help and a drop-in centre has been set up at St James' Church hall.

Heaters, hot food and shower facilities are being made available to those affected.

NGN said engineers needed to access all affected properties to safely isolate gas supply to allow for mains repairs to be carried out.

Householders have been told it could be a number of days until the supply is restored

It said 125 engineers were working to resolve the problem and the most vulnerable residents were being prioritised.

Food vouchers have been made available and shower facilities have also been provided for residents at Keighley Leisure Centre up until 19:30 GMT. It will reopen on Sunday from 08:00 to 16:00

Eileen Brown, NGN head of customer experience, said: "People have been so helpful and so understanding of the situation we're in.

"There has been some amazing stories - people thinking of cooking their Easter Sunday lunch on the BBQ."

She added: "Our priority is to make sure our customers are safe and are as warm and comfortable as possible during this difficult situation."