Shropshire Star

'I heard a hiss': Grandad with cigarette in his mouth hits gas pipe and causes a major alert in Shrewsbury

A loving grandad caused a major alert in Shrewsbury when he dug into a plastic gas pipe - with a thankfully unlit cigarette in his mouth.

Plus
Published
Last updated
Grandad Dave Nash with two of his grandchildren, Leelah, aged 8 and Ollie, aged nine

About 30 properties were reported to have been evacuated in Wingfield Close, in Ditherington, on Friday morning after Dave Nash heard a hissing sound.

Farm worker and smoker Mr Nash, aged 58, from Brookfields, in Telford was staying with his daughter Sophie for a few days and carrying out some work putting in a fence post. He wants to make the house's garden areas secure for his five young grandchildren to play in.

"I heard a hiss and thought, oh, bloody heck - let's put it that way...," said Dave. "I am a smoker and had a fag in my mouth but I didn't have it lit.

"My first thought was for everyone's safety, so Sophie called the police at 10.03 and they were around here very quickly. I went knocking on neighbours' doors to tell them what had happened.

The scene in in Wingfield Close, earlier on Frday

"I was with my granddaughter Leelah, at the time. She had come out to see what grandad was doing.

"I had dug most of it out on Thursday and was planning to finish it off today."