Gas Supply Failure, Marsden, Huddersfield

Engineers are continuing to reconnect gas consumers to their supply after it failed in the village of Marsden, near Huddersfield.

A total of 1,751 homes and businesses were affected, of which more than 600 had been reconnected by 8am today, Wednesday 8th March.

Engineers expect that, provided they can gain access to the remaining properties, most if not all will be reconnected by the end of today.

Northern Gas Networks and its operating partner United Utilities apologise for the inconvenience which local people have experienced.

'Supply failures such as these happen very, very rarely,' said Northern Gas Networks' Director of Communications John O'Grady. `But we fully recognise that when they do occur the normal everyday lives of people are severely disrupted.'

More than 2,000 fan heaters and 600 hot plates have been provided to local people since the supply failure happened on Saturday evening, following the fracture of the main supply pipe into the area in Chain Road.

An information line is being manned between 8am and 8pm, on 0191 501 4324. Outside those hours information can be obtained from the National Gas Emergency Service, on 0800 111 999.

Around 80 engineers are continuing to work in the area. The restoration work will be carried out in a carefully managed process, to guarantee the safety of local people.

`You may think that it is taking a long time to restore supplies,' said Mr O'Grady, `but the fact is we have to ensure that all 20km of mains and pipes in the area are working as normal, and that there is no air in them, before we can restore supplies.'