Gas-leak confusion

Diggle Hotel landlord Geoff Hibbert stands at one of the holes in Sam Road with National Grid workmen in the background

Landlord tells of nightmare five weeks

A mysterious gas escape has brought chaos and confusion to a Saddleworth village.

Initially, a team from National Grid attended a gas escape near the bridge at Sam Road and the historic Diggle Hotel after locals complained.

Hampered by snow, the roadworks caused chaos to buses and visitors to the pub. Distraught landlord Geoff Hibbert said: “It’s been an absolute nightmare here for more than five weeks.

“The roadworks partly block the bridge and traffic had to negotiate big holes left at the roadside.

“Along with the bad weather, the situation has really impacted on my business.”

Now problems have been compounded with the discovery of another gas leak which, under controlled supervision of a team of workmen, is being allowed to vent into the atmosphere.

Mr Hibbert, who has run the pub for the past three years with his wife, Jan, said: “There is a lot of confusion.

“Now fresh holes are being dug and part of the roadway is being drilled with smaller holes by the workmen trying to find the source of the leak.”

A spokeswoman for National Grid said the original gas leak problems has been made safe and the carriageway reinstated.

“However, there is a separate unrelated escape further down the road.” she said.

“The gas escaping here is being allowed to vent into the atmosphere under controlled circumstances while we identify exactly where the actual break in the main has occurred.

“Gas does not always escape to the atmosphere at the point of the fracture in the main.

“As part of the process of pinpointing the exact location of the damage to the main, we have dug several small holes along the road, including outside the Dingle Hotel.

“As a consequence, we have been able to rule out problems on that particular part of the main and have begun to fill in these excavations.

“However, it will be necessary for us to begin investigations on the opposite side of the carriageway.

“After discussions with the local authority to determine the least disruptive way of working, we agreed with them we would work on one side of the carriageway at a time, rather than close the road completely.

“This action has meant that traffic disruption has been kept to a minimum while allowing us to work in a safe manner.

“We are sorry for any inconvenience caused but this is emergency work and we want to resolve the situation as soon as possible.”

Mr Hibbert said: “The buses are really finding travelling along the road a struggle. That’s the biggest problem and this is creating a domino-effect which, in turn, is hitting my business.”

Parish councillor Royce Franklin added: “This job has gone on too long — it’s time it was sorted.”