MAJOR gas works on London Road could finish this week.

Gas main repairs on London Road have resulted in long delays in Stockton Heath and Appleton in the past few days due to the installation of three-way traffic lights last month.

Cadent Gas has confirmed that engineers on the A49, near to the London Bridge pub, could be away by the end of this week.

Emergency engineers were first alerted to the incident on Wednesday after water was found in gas pipes on Birchdale Road.

A water leak has also been reported in the area.

Investigations revealed that urgent repairs were needed to an underground cast iron main on London Road.

Temporary signals, which are manned between 7am and 7pm, will remain in the coming days in order to ‘achieve optimum flow’.

Gas supply has remained unaffected.

A spokesman said "The team is hopeful – if everything progresses as planned – of being done and away by the end of this week.

"It’s major work – finding and removing every drop of a very large volume of water found inside the local gas pipes, and carrying out essential repairs on the cast iron main.

"We know it’s not ideal at all and appreciate everyone’s ongoing patience."