Gas smell a mystery after engineers find no leak

Residents in a town complaining about a "pervading smell of gas" have been told by a distribution company there is no evidence it is related to its network.

Central Bedfordshire Council posted on X that Flitwick Library was closed "due to a suspected gas leak" and it was unknown when it would reopen.

In a post on Facebook, Independent Alliance councillor Heather Townsend described it as a "gas cloud" and said the authority was investigating the "status of the pervading smell of gas across Flitwick".

Cadent Gas said at about 09:00 BST it had received a "larger than usual number of calls" from residents in Flitwick, but engineers "haven’t found any evidence that this is connected to the gas network".

Richard Davies, customer operations area manager for Cadent, said: “Our engineers carry very sensitive gas detection equipment and immediately set about taking readings, but we haven’t found any evidence that this is connected to the gas network.

“We do get things like this happen from time to time - a smell that people think is gas but isn’t. In the past, such incidents have been traced to things like industrial plants, fuel spillage, even aircraft activity."

Mr Davies did, however, urge people to report any smell of gas they detected as it may not be connected to the reports they had investigated so far.

Bedfordshire Fire & Rescue Service said it attended three calls reporting a smell of gas but nothing was found.

Fire engines were parked outside Little Squirts Preschool where a handwritten note informed parents it was closed.

Woodland Middle School Academy confirmed to the BBC it was evacuated at about 09:30, but that lessons had since resumed.

Templefield Lower School was also evacuated.

Redborne Upper School in neighbouring Ampthill said its south site was closed.

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