TRANSCO engineers are gearing up to move into Leigh and Atherton to carry out work on upgrading the gas supply system.

The gas pipeline company has unveiled plans for a number of projects across the area, which will see many kilometres of iron gas mains removed and replaced with plastic ones, which have a far longer lifespan.

Jon Butterworth, Director, Transco North West said: "Many of the iron gas mains in the area were laid 30 or 40 years ago and are now reaching the end of their lifespan so we are planning to replace them.

"We have a tremendous amount of work to do in this area and we appreciate that this will inevitably cause some disruption.

"However, the plastic pipes we are putting in the ground now have a lifespan of at least 80 years so once the work is done and the engineers have removed the cones and barriers, people will be able to carry on taking gas for granted for decades to come.

"We understand that people get frustrated by work carried out by utilities but the gas, water and electricity supplies we rely on don't arrive in our homes by magic - there is a vast network of pipes, mains and cables in place to deliver them to us."

The affected areas are: Leighton Street, Atherton; Gloucester Street, Atherton; Car Bank Street, Atherton; Bolton Old Road, Atherton; Chestnut Avenue, Leigh; Mitchell Street, Leigh; Eden Grove, Leigh and Abbey Lane, Leigh.