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Borehole filled with cement after gas explosion

Ant Saddington/BBC Drone photo shows destroyed buildings with emergency vehicles parked outside. Nearby homes appear undamagedAnt Saddington/BBC
Fifty households were evacuated after the blast, in which an elderly man and woman died

A 100m (328ft) borehole close to the scene of a fatal explosion and house fire has been filled with cement to make it gas-tight, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has confirmed.

Eighty-five year-old Paul Swales and Julia Harris, 84, died after the blast at Cleat Hill, Bedford, on 19 October.

The incident happened at a property close to where an underground gas leak occurred, after the borehole was drilled to install a ground source heat pump.

Erica Fletcher, from one of the 50 households evacuated, said she was "frustrated" she still did not know when she could return home and was unable to make plans.

Supplied A blurry photo through a wet car window of a burning house, with all the windows and doors blown out and piles of brick rubble next to it. The building has orange flames shooting out.Supplied
The explosion happened at a house in Cleat Hill, Bedford, on 19 October

At a residents' meeting on Monday evening, the HSE confirmed the sealing of the borehole had been completed and that the cement had cured.

Paul Bradley, from the HSE, said he was confident the gas had been stopped but that monitoring would continue.

The British Geological Survey confirmed gas readings had were lower than previously and that methane levels in the air and soil had dropped considerably.

Its data suggested the "gas flow from the borehole had been restricted, if not stemmed".

It would continue to monitor the situation, in different environmental conditions, to make sure the levels remained safe, it said.

Qays Najm/BBC Erica Fletcher, standing outside a church in Bedford. You can see a blurred brick building with double wooden doors behind her She is looking straight at the camera, with a concerned look on her face, with chin= length blond straight hair. She has a pair of glasses on her head and is hearing a blue and white spotted top. Her arms are crossed across her chest.Qays Najm/BBC
Erica Fletcher is hoping to hear soon when she might be able to return home

Ms Fletcher, who has lived in a hotel since 19 October, said she was "struggling".

She has two cats, which are currently staying with friends.

"I was really hoping for some sort of timescale so I can make a decision for myself and my cats; it's just so frustrating," she said.

"It's still unclear for how much longer they will monitor the gas, so I'm unable to plan for anything."

Helen Mulroy/BBC Councillor and vicar Charles Royden, standing outside a sign for St Mark's Church, Bedford. He has grey hair, a bear and is wearing a dark polo style T-shirt. The sign is blurred behind him. Helen Mulroy/BBC
Charles Royden said the community had been working together for more than three weeks to support each other

The Reverend Canon Charles Royden, a Liberal Democrat member of Bedford Borough Council and vicar at St Mark's Church, where a support centre for residents has been created, said: "There's another week going to go by where they [residents[ can't go back to their homes.

"Some residents feel like they will never be safe again, it's heart-breaking, it's very disheartening for the residents to hear that."

The 50 homes in the evacuated area are being protected by police patrols and private security guards.

An investigation into the cause of the blast continues.

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