A Shropshire woman whose car was destroyed in the Shrewsbury explosion today claimed she had been left hundreds of pounds out of pocket after insurers refused to pay out for her loss.

Anne Caudwell, who works as a housekeeper in the lodge at the Shrewsbury Hotel in Smithfield Road, said her P-reg silver Ford Escort was flattened by falling rubble from the gas blast which happened on January 3 last year.

The incident on the corner of Bridge Street and Smithfield Road left 12 people injured, five seriously including Panto star Kiley McDonnell who was left paralysed from the waist down.

Ms Caudwell said her vehicle was covered third party but her insurers have refused to pay out for a replacement car and said she was also left with a £200 bill after police towed it away to a recovery centre.

Following an announcement this week that National Grid and BT have agreed to pay compensation to victims of the explosion, Ms Caudwell said she was hoping to find out whether the companies would also be recompensing others whose property was damaged or destroyed.

The 57-year-old said: “On the day of the blast, I was cleaning in the Shrewsbury Hotel. My car was parked in the hotel car park behind the buildings that blew up.

“My car was totally flattened by the collapsing wall and obviously written off. Usually I leave my dog in the car but on that day I didn’t, thank God.

“I cannot get anyone to admit liability and pay me for the car.

“I am a cleaner and need a car. I had to borrow money off a friend, who couldn’t really afford it, to buy a cheap runaround expecting to be paid out in a few weeks. But it has been so long my friend now won’t speak to me and I can’t pay her back.”

Ms Caudwell said she had been told by her insurer that because a Health and Safety Executive report in January concluded that nobody was to blame for the blast, she would not receive a penny.

A spokeswoman for National Grid said both the firm and BT had agreed to pay compensation to 11 victims of the explosion.

She said the 11 people had submitted claims to the firm. She advised Ms Caudwell to get in touch with the companies if she wished to submit a claim.

By Russell Roberts