A gas leak has been found under a busy main road, which is causing traffic chaos.

Teams from gas network Cadent are working to fix a leak identified on a gas pipe in Chorley.

The leak was found on a main under Preston Road near to the hospital, with engineers currently working on the site.

Cadent say the gas has remained on while the teams work to fix the leak, and work is ongoing to ensure nearby roads remain open, but they are asking commuters to plan extra time for their journeys.

A spokesperson for Cadent said: "The teams suspect it is coming from a pipe that runs under Preston Road, close to the junction with Euxton Lane.

"The challenge facing the Cadent engineers is to repair this without completely closing the road."

Temporary traffic lights are in place to keep the roads open and maintain a safe area for the teams work in.

All entrances to the hospital also remain open.

Customer operations area manager for Cadent, Colin Baker,  said: “The leak is under control, but it couldn’t be in a more challenging place.

“Our priority is keeping everyone safe, but we are also working very hard to keep traffic flowing as well as keep gas flowing into people’s homes.

“We appreciate everyone’s patience while we carry out this work, and know too that it’s causing traffic issues in the local area.

“Once we’ve got down to the pipe and assessed the nature of the leak, we’ll have a much better idea how long this will take to complete.

“My team is monitoring the gas readings regularly.

“We’re only detecting low readings – nothing that need worry anyone.

“Moving in now to fix this will ensure everything remains safe.”

If you smell gas during this work, nearby or anywhere, always ring the national gas emergency service immediately, day or night, on 0800 111 999.

Do not delay, or assume it’s related to this work. It may not be and must be checked.