Homes evacuated in a gas leak alert

Dozens of families were ordered out of their homes and drivers suffered travel chaos after a major gas leak in Notting Hill.

The emergency was sparked when contractors for a telecoms company cut through a high-pressure main with a JCB digger.

Gas blew through valves in a 100-yard area and about 40 residents and several businesses were evacuated as fire crews and gas engineers were called in. Experts monitored gas levels overnight as the leak in the 14- inch pipe was plugged.

Families described how they heard gas escaping from the main. Francesca Duffy, 50, said: "I heard a big whooshing sound and immediately smelled gas."

The leak in Bayswater Road happened at 9.30am yesterday. The closure of part of the road between Clanricarde Gardens and Palace Court brought a swathe of west London to a halt, with jams stretching back several miles during last night's rush hour.

The road may be closed until Friday while repairs continue.