Keighley’s X-Ray Vision

United Utilities is using specialist x-ray equipment to speed up gas mains replacement work in West Yorkshire.

In a first for the industry in Yorkshire, gas engineers are using a sophisticated piece of kit called an "Easy Locator" as they lay a new 1.2km pipeline in Keighley.

Around £250,000 is being invested at Bradford Road to meet increased gas demand in the town. The investment is being made by the new owners of Yorkshire's gas pipeline - Northern Gas Networks.

The Easy Locator is proving to be a real aid to gas engineers as they progress the scheme in good time.

Although it looks like just like a lawnmower, the high-tech kit contains two antennas to detect existing utility pipes under the road surface.

This prevents the need to dig 'investigation' holes to find out what's below - saving time and mess.

Engineers have so far laid 600 metres of new pipe and the scheme is ahead of schedule.

United Utilities engineers believe this is the first time such equipment has been used during gas mains replacement work in the region.

Adam Stephenson, United Utilities network operations manager said: "The Easy Locator has helped us enormously and is minimising inconvenience to the community.

"It looks a little like a lawn mower which can be pushed along the ground. By using the x-ray kit we don't need to dig up large sections of Bradford Road and therefore we can keep it open to traffic.

"This vital gas mains replacement work is needed to meet increased gas demand from the villages of Riddlesden and East Morton and we are making good progress."

Northern Gas Networks took over the gas network in Yorkshire, Cumbria and the north east in June from Transco. United Utilities is contracted to run the day to day operation.

The NGN area has a population of 6.7m of which 2.5m are gas customers. It has 36,000km of gas mains, enough to stretch from Keighley to Sydney Australia and back again.