House explosion which killed Chorley man 'not caused' by faulty gas mains or service pipes

A house collapse in Clayton-le-Woods where a man died was not caused by faulty gas mains or service pipes, a gas emergency service has confirmed.

Police investigating the death say they are now looking into allegations of a "neighbour dispute".

Emergency services were called to Kirkby Avenue in Clayton-le-Woods on the afternoon of Friday 15 October following reports that a house had collapsed.

Residents were evacuated after it was initially thought the blast had been caused by a 'suspected gas explosion'.

Carl Whalley, 57, suffered fatal injuries and died at the scene.

Detective Chief Inspector Zoe Russo said allegations made on social media by Mr Whalley were being looked into as part of the investigation into the blaze.

She said: "Our investigation is focused on trying to establish how the fire started and we remain in the relatively early stages of that investigation.

"As I'm sure people will understand we are faced with an extremely complex scene and we have a number of enquiries to undertake so it may take some time to establish the exact circumstances.

"I would appeal to anyone who has any information and has not yet spoken to police to come forward and I would especially appeal to anyone with any CCTV, Ring doorbell footage or dashcam footage to get in touch.

"We are aware of some allegations made on social media by Mr Whalley and suggestions of a neighbour dispute and we are looking into these matters as part of our enquiries."

Cadent, previously known as National Grid Gas Distribution, is responsible for the underground gas distribution pipes which transports gas into people's homes in the Clayton-le-Woods area.

The service provider said that an investigation found the gas mains and service pipes 'did not contribute to or cause' the incident.

Jenny Moten, Director of Cadent’s North West Network said: "Following a thorough investigation, we can confirm that the gas mains and service pipes in the area are sound and did not contribute to or cause the explosion in Kirkby Avenue. The matter now lies with the police for further investigation".

Floral tributes have been left close to the scene, and over the weekend Mr Whalley's family released a tribute saying: "Carl was a much loved member of the family, we are all devastated by this tragedy and no amount of time will lessen the pain that we are all going through, he was the centre of our world".

They have now set up an online JustGiving page to help cover the costs of Carl's funeral.They said: "As you may have heard Carl Whalley passed away yesterday during the gas fire explosion at our family home. We have lost everything."We appreciate all the kindness and support that the local community has offered us, it really does mean alot during these difficult times. We would also like to thank the local emergency services for their support."We do not know the cause of the explosion and it will be weeks/months until we find out what actually happened."As a family we are devastated, Carl was such a caring, funny and loveable figure. He would do anything for anyone and he did not deserve this."We aren’t allowed back to our house and as you have probably seen there is nothing to go back to. We would appreciate and donation however large or small it may be, it would go along way towards funeral costs."

Residents have since been able to return to their homes although a cordon remains around Mr Whalley’s property.

Lancashire Police and Lancashire Fire Service are carrying out a joint investigation to establish what caused the fire and subsequent collapse of the house, and have asked for anyone with information to share on the incident to get in touch with them.

DCI Zoe Russo of Lancashire Police said: “First and foremost my thoughts are with Mr Whalley’s family at this deeply distressing time.

“Our investigation into the incident, which we now know was a house fire, is in its early stages and we are working with Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service and associated partner agencies to establish the cause of the incident."