Gas restored to 18,000 homes

Gas supplies were restored to thousands of homes in time for householders to celebrate Christmas.

Engineers have visited all 18,000 Lancashire homes which were left without gas due to a ruptured main and have restored the supply to all those where someone was home, the National Grid said.

Around 2,500 properties have not been reconnected as engineers have been unable to gain access but the addresses were being revisited late last night.

Engineers will continue to knock on the remaining doors this morning so people who have been without gas since Monday can have supplies for heating and cooking.

Most of the 300 engineers, who travelled to the Rossendale area from across the UK, have returned home but 65 have stayed on duty and are ready to start knocking on doors at 7am today.

In addition, there are around 40 administration workers co-ordinating the restoration effort.

Jon Butterworth, National Grid's director of operations, said last night: "We believe around 10% of properties may be empty over Christmas and some others don't have gas, so the number now needing reconnection is less than we had feared.

"But our engineers will continue calling on people into Christmas Day.

"This is a mammoth task but local people have been fantastic."

Families in Bacup, Waterfoot, Rawtenstall, Newchurch and Crawshawbooth feared being unable to cook their Christmas Day turkey when the ruptured main set light to an overhead power cable in Holme Lane, Rawtenstall.

The incident also knocked out electricity to 30,000 homes in the area but United Utilities restored supplies on Monday night.

Work to repair the damaged gas pipe was completed on Tuesday morning, but engineers have had to repressurise and test the system and check each individual property.

Those addresses which remain empty after today's third visit will have a card placed through the door advising the occupant of the situation and asking them to contact the company for re-connection.