Nelson homes evacuated after petrol leak (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Nelson homes evacuated after petrol leak

8:30am Thursday 11th March 2010 in

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A petrol leak led to homes in Nelson being evacuated for almost 24 hours.

Pendle Council said the fuel had got into drains and watercourses running under houses in the Whitefield and Lomeshaye Village areas of Nelson.

As a result noxious fumes travelled into the homes and up to 30 people from 11 properties had to spend the night elsewhere.

The investigation into the leak is centered on the Spring Bank Shell filling station in Manchester Road.

The Environment Agency said the leak had also contaminated a 500-metre stretch of a tributary of Pendle Water, killing at least 50 fish.

Residents in Lime Street called National Grid after smelling what they thought was gas late on Tuesday morning.

However, engineers’ tests established that the fumes were from a fuel source and they alerted the fire service.

Police officers helped co-ordinate the evacuation and cordoned off the street while an investigation was undertaken.

Alan Edwards, of Lime Street, who was evacuated, said: "Someone has to be held accountable, this is just ridiculous.

"My wife had an operation on her cataracts on Tuesday and we got back to this smell.

“It was awful, so we had to stay at my wife's sister’s on Tuesday night.

"It's not what you want, we are both in our 60s and even though it was a minor operation you want to relax after something like that and be in your home.”

Mohammed Mahroof, also of Lime Street, said it had been a ‘complete nightmare’.

He said: "I got back from town and the smell was really obvious.

"I thought my wife had left the gas on but there was no reason for the smell, then a neighbour came round and it was clear the smell was on the whole street.

"We called out the gas supplier and then the police, Environmental Health, fire service and councils all came out and we were told to find somewhere else for the night.

"Luckily we have family close and we didn't fancy staying at the community centre.

“We have a young daughter who was ill over the weekend so it is really difficult for her as well and moving everything about."

A spokesman for Lancashire Fire and Rescue said a decision to evacuate 11 homes in Lime Street and Every Street was made on Tuesday evening.

In addition, the homes’ gas and power supplies were turned off to safeguard against possible explosions.

The action was taken because the petrol explosive levels in the homes were deemed ‘high risk,’ the fire spokesman said.

Evacuees were initially invited to go to the Whitefield Community Centre and when told they would not be able to return the majority spent the night with family or friends.

Pendle Council said it arranged temporary lodgings for one family.

By yesterday afternoon, council chiefs said the fumes in the houses had reduced ‘dramatically’ and all but three families had returned to their homes.

Lancashire County Council’s highways officers yesterday spent four hours flushing out gulleys in the area, including Hargreaves Street, Lime Street, Swaine Street, Lomeshaye Road, and Manchester Road, in a bid to reduced the high level of petrol fumes.

They were requested to carry out the work by The Environment Agency.

An agency spokesman said: “We have worked with Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, the Petroleum Licensing Authority and Pendle Council to contain and remove the petrol from the watercourse.

“As part of this, we put oil absorbent booms in place which are currently working effectively.

“The cause of the leak is still being investigated and we are monitoring the situation closely.”

Ian McInery, Pendle Council’s emergency planning chief, said it was thought that the leak occurred at the Shell filling station.

He said: “On Tuesday, 11 houses in Lime Street and Every Street, Nelson, were evacuated by Lancashire Police and Lancashire Fire and Rescue, due to a petrol leak from the Shell filling station on Manchester Road.

“It’s thought the petrol had got into drains and watercourses running under some homes in the area.”

No-one from the Shell filling station or head office were available for comment yesterday.