Homes were evacuated following a suspected gas leak after a police car crashed into another vehicle before hitting a shop on Blackburn Road in Bolton. The road was cordoned off as police, firefighters and gas engineers attended the scene.
A corner store and a tanning salon were affected by the incident. Emergency services were called before noon, and the cordon was lifted at about 3pm.
Emergency response and gas smell
Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service said a 'strong smell of gas' was reported following the crash. A spokesperson said: "Just after 12pm on Friday, October 2, fire crews were called to an incident on Blackburn Road, Bolton. A car collided with a building, and a strong smell of gas was reported."
The spokesperson added: "Fire crews are still at the scene and working alongside colleagues from Greater Manchester Police, North West Ambulance Service and Cadent."
Police statement and evacuations
A Greater Manchester Police spokesperson said: "Shortly before 12pm on Friday, October 2, a police car collided with a vehicle before crashing into a shop on Blackburn Road, Bolton, whilst responding to a different incident on blue lights. Emergency services are in attendance and no serious injuries have been reported."
The spokesperson continued: "A cordon is currently in place due to a suspected gas leak and residents have been evacuated. Roads closures are in place as emergency services deal with the incident."
Gas network response and safety advice
Phil Hendrick, Head of Operational Delivery at Cadent, said: "We responded to an urgent call for assistance from the emergency services dealing with a road traffic incident."
He explained: "A service pipe - the pipe which takes gas into a property, from the bigger main pipeline in the road - was damaged. Our teams have made everything safe."
Hendrick added: "I understand other emergency responders, those first on scene, had taken the understandable safety-first precaution to evacuate a number of nearby properties after they arrived on scene."
He said: "Our engineers will complete routine safety checks on nearby properties and make arrangements to reconnect this one property when it is safe to do so. No other gas supplies are impacted."
He concluded: "Incidents like these serve as an important reminder to always act quickly if you smell gas or see damage to gas pipes - call the national gas emergency service on 0800 111 999*, day or night."
