Stannington gas incident: More than a million litres of water pumped from pipes

More than a million litres of water had to be pumped from gas pipes after a water main burst in Sheffield, leaving thousands cut off in sub-zero temperatures.

Around 2,000 homes lost their gas supply when a Yorkshire Water main burst and flooded the network in the Stannington, Malin Bridge and Hillsborough areas.

Two weeks after the incident, gas distributor Cadent said all the affected homes had been reconnected.

The company said engineers had worked "day and night" to draw the water out.

Cadent's local director Richard Sansom said: "We’ve removed more than one million litres of water from the gas pipes in an area that covered four miles. While we do get water ingress incidents like this occasionally, the volumes we’re talking about here are way above the norm."

Families were left living in freezing cold homes following the flooding, on 2 December, as snow fell and temperatures plummeted in the cold snap.

He said 3,000 properties were impacted by supply issues or broken appliances after water inundated the network on Friday, 2 December.

Mr Sansom said despite "personal challenges" the local community had been supportive of crews working in the area.

He added: "You made us feel amazingly welcome and appreciated, despite the issues you were facing because you had no gas."

Despite supplies being restored, some residents have been left with broken boilers and other appliances.

Cadent said engineers would remain in the area while residents face potential issues with interruption to gas supplies.

Those affected are entitled to claim compensation.

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