Evacuated residents collect belongings after blast

Firefighters have begun allowing residents evacuated after a fatal house explosion back into their homes in order to pick up belongings.

A senior firefighter told a meeting of people who live in Cleat Hill, Bedford, that about a dozen residents had been able to return.

One man died and a woman was seriously injured in the explosion and fire on Saturday.

Paul Bradley of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said investigations showed natural gas had escaped from the site of a nearby borehole.

Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service's assistant chief fire officer, Jim Davies, gave updates on the investigation at the meeting in a local church on Thursday evening.

He said some people had already been allowed to return to collect belongings and that others would be allowed to do the same on Friday.

In July residents had been evacuated after contractors struck a pocket of natural gas while drilling a borehole at a property to install a heat pump.

Mr Bradley, head of operations at the HSE's energy division, told the meeting the "gas network" had been ruled out as the source of the gas.

He said gas had "percolated" out of the ground and into properties, and the surrounding area, from the site of the borehole.

Mr Bradley said ways of permanently sealing off the borehole were being looked at and that work was under way to get the escaping gas "under control."

Mr Bradley said the borehole was "open" and subject to the "elements".

"Our initial thoughts are, and we have yet to prove this, are that a lot of the rainfall, and severe weather we have had of late, may have washed away and blocked, partially, the borehole," he said.

Mr Bradley said investigations indicated the blockage had caused gas pressure to build up.

He said it was thought gas had then forced its way around the blockage and out of the ground.

Richard Fuller, Conservative MP for North Bedfordshire, was at the meeting and said he was planning to hold a special surgery on Saturday to field residents' questions.

Craig Austin, director for environment at Bedford Borough Council, told the meeting 25 households had been "accommodated".

"We are still uncertain about how long this is going to be," he said.

"We recognise how much your lives have been turned upside down."

He said "significant process" had been made to allow people to access their homes and "collect belongings and essentials they would need for the next four weeks".

A number of people at the meeting praised the council for the help and support it had given.

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