Stannington gas pipe flood: Volume of water in pipes slowing reconnections

The gas network was flooded following a burst water main on 2 December

A company has said it could be Monday before some properties in Sheffield are reconnected to gas supplies.

About 2,000 homes in Stannington were affected after a burst water main flooded the gas network nine days ago.

Cadent Gas said the volume of water in the network had slowed progress to reconnect homes on Saturday.

Meanwhile the energy watchdog said it was "extremely concerned" about vulnerable people being left without gas as temperatures plummeted.

People were left without heating or cooking facilities after water from a burst pipe leaked into the gas main on 2 December, which saw water gushing out of cookers and gas meters.

Up to Saturday about three quarters of homes had been reconnected, however Cadent said it wanted to be "open and honest" with customers and said the volume of water in gas pipes had been an issue.

"Seven days on and we are still pumping water out of the gas pipes," it said.

The majority of the remaining homes and businesses would be back on gas by Sunday evening, but "for some it will be on Monday", it added.

Cadent Gas said the volume of water had slowed down reconnection efforts on Saturday

Energy watchdog Ofgem said on Saturday that 340 people had been without gas supplies for a week, in what it said was an "extremely difficult situation".

"While we are grateful to engineers from Cadent and all of the other organisations who are working around the clock to restore supplies as soon as possible, we are extremely concerned that 194 consumers on the Priority Services Register remain off gas, along with hundreds of other homes.

"We have received assurances from Cadent that each of these customers is being cared for and made comfortable while they wait for their supply to be restored."

Cadent said Sheffield City Council, the Labour MP for the area Olivia Blake and Yorkshire Water had brought in team to visit those on the Priority Services Register and had also done general welfare checks on Saturday.