Residents reassured after several gas leak reports in Wigan

There were rumours that a dozen leaks had be reported to Cadent within the WN1 and WN3 postcodes after people could smell gas.

However the gas distribution company conducted an investigation and found nothing had been damaged within their network.

Ian Royal, Customer Operations Area Manager, Cadent, said: "We have had a larger than usual number of calls today in some Wigan postcode areas, about a smell that people were concerned was natural gas.

"We investigate each one and have not found any evidence of an issue on the gas network that could have caused this.

"We do gets incidents like this from time to time.

"In the past, we have traced it to things like factory discharges, aviation fuel, smells from docks activity, and many other reasons.

"Our concern in incidents like this is that, in amongst the smells that are not gas, there may be an isolated and unrelated real gas leak.

"That’s why it’s important to ring the national gas emergency service on 0800 111999 if you ever smell gas, suspect the presence of carbon monoxide or notice damage to gas pipes."