December 9, 1977
THE Alcester town centre gas leak which ignited into a 10 ft jet of flames causing 10 homes to be evacuated could not have caused an explosion.
An investigation by the gas board ruled out the possibility that the burning gas could have ignited 3,000 gallons of petrol stored in underground petrol tanks at a Priory Road filling station only yards from the leak.
Evacuated residents spent an hour at the police station before they were allowed back into their homes.
A tired Mrs Doris Shayler, who had been evacuated and then kept awake most of the night by the workmen's pneumatic drills, said: "Everyone went to the police station where we stayed for a couple of hours. It was a very unnerving experience".
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