FAMILIES in Latchford could be without gas for days after contractors working on the River Mersey flood defences severed a pipe.

Hundreds of homes have been without gas since around 9.30am this morning.

Officials from the National Grid say that 34 streets in Latchford have been affected with an expected time frame of ‘days rather than hours’ to reconnect the gas supply.

It has been caused by labourers installing the flood defences on Knutsford Road who damaged a green box containing equipment that controls gas pressure.

An 8 inch low pressure pipe was severed.

Engineers from the National Grid are attempting to contact homeowners in the affected area.

They will have to visit every home twice before the gas supply will be operational again.

Residents are now asked to wait at home for an engineer to call.

A spokesman for the National Grid said: “We are asking people without gas in the Latchford area to wait in their homes this evening for an engineer to call.

“National Grid teams are currently working to restore gas supplies to several hundred homes and businesses in the Knutsford Road area.

“Engineers are now seeking to cut off the damaged section of pipe so that it can be replaced.

“Once this has been done, engineers will be visiting all the homes affected to start the process of restoring gas supplies.

“This could take some time as each home needs to be visited twice - once to safely turn off the gas supply at the meter and then again to turn the gas back on once the damage to the main has been repaired.”

The spokesman added that fan heaters and hotplates will be made available to vulnerable residents.

An incident room has been set up at Latchford St James's Primary School on Old Road. 

A spokesman for the Environment Agency, which are behind the flood defence work, said: "We apologise to residents who are affected and we will be carrying out an investigation into how this incident occurred."

These are the roads affected by the gas cut - 92 - 456 Knutsford Road, New Road, Lord St, York St, Caterbury St, Kent St, St Marys St, Enville St, Marbury St, Hewitt St, Clifton St, Miller St, Hancock Court, Pear Tree Place, Hughes Street, GroveSt, Oldham St, Cumberland St, Oxford St, Clelland St, Barry St, Surrey St, Slater St, Beatrice St, Shrewsbury St, Park Ave, Evans Place, Hawthorn Grove, Mertle Grove, Ash Grove, Beech Grove, Cedar Grove, Birch Grove, Maple Grove.