Stannington: Properties still without gas after 12 days as temperatures fall

Gas engineers have been working through the night to restore supply

Engineers are still working to reconnect gas supplies to the last of the 2,000 homes in Sheffield whose supply was cut off 12 days ago.

Sheffield City Council said on Wednesday that 196 properties, mostly industrial, remained without gas.

The supply was cut after a burst water main flooded gas pipes on 2 December.

Cadent Gas said "complicated engineering challenges" had so far prevented its workers from restoring the supply to everyone.

Hundreds of engineers have been working for days to pump water from the network and restore gas to residents left without central heating or cooking facilities.

On Tuesday, about 100 homes in Stannington and Malin Bridge were still thought to have no gas as overnight temperatures fell to -4C (25F).

In a statement, Cadent said: "We know those of you not on gas just want this to end. We're frustrated we couldn't resolve this today.

"We're getting much closer to bringing this to a conclusion, if you can just continue to bear with us a little longer."

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

Kate Josephs, the council's chief executive, said most of the properties still without gas on Wednesday afternoon were industrial premises on Holme Lane.

Cadent had been unable to gain access to 87 of them, she added.

Those affected by the break in supply were urged not to try to restore their own gas supply.

Some local residents have told of wrapping their children in five blankets to keep them warm in homes "as cold as Iceland".

Ms Josephs said the council had provided more than 1,000 hot meals for people without gas.

Staff from the local authority and Yorkshire Water have also been carrying out welfare checks at affected homes this week.

The water company has faced criticism over its maintenance of the 50-year-old underground pipe which flooded the gas network with more than 1.3 million litres of water.

Olivia Blake, the MP for Sheffield Hallam, said: "Once this incident is resolved, questions will need to be answered and lessons learnt, so no community has to go through what ours has."

Yorkshire Water has agreed to pay compensation for damage caused by the burst water main, while Cadent has doubled payments to properties which have lost gas supply.