SECONDS AWAY FROMANOTHER DISASTER
Family’s lucky escape after gas leak
A dad told how an estate rocked by an explosion about six months ago could have been seconds away from another disaster.
Steven Mclaughlin said that by him not lighting up his cigarette when he smelled gas outside his home, he helped saved his family’s lives. The 31-year-old said gas was pouring out of a new meter that was only installed a few days earlier.
Steven, of Thistle Walk, Kincaidston, told the Post: “The gas meter had not long been installed at the front next to the porch, as we walked in I could instantly smell gas. “I normally have a smoke out at the front but for some reason I decided not to light one. Who knows what could have happened?”
A dad told this week how an estate rocked by an explosion about six months ago could have been seconds away from another disaster.
Steven Mclaughlin says his family had a lucky escape after he smelt gas coming from his new meter outside his home just moments before he was about to light a cigarette.
The 31-year-old said gas was pouring from the meter that been installed only days before.
He told the Post: “The gas meter had not long been installed at the front next to the porch, as we walked in I could instantly smell gas.
“I normally have a smoke out at the front but for some reason I decided not to light one. Who knows what could have happened?”
Steven claims a botched job put his family at risk. His partner and son were in the garden when he could smell the gas in the air.
The dad-of-one was stunned to discover gas was pouring out of the device after calling the emergency helpline. Engineers from a contractor used by SGN had only visited his address in Thistle Walk the previous week.
Steven, who lives with partner Beth Sargent, 29, and their two-year-old son Steven jnr, opted to have their gas meter placed outside. The couple, who were rocked by the explosion in nearby Gorse Park in October last year, were desperate to safeproof their gas supply.
But delivery driver Steven claimed the new meter was falling apart with dangerous gas seeping out from numerous gaps on April 7 after being installed on March 30. Pictures taken by Steven appear to show a loose screw hanging from the newly-installed device.
Steven fumed: “Screws were loose, the pressure test nipple was so loose that when the guy tried to see how tight it was it just fell off. They have put my whole family at risk. After what’s happened here you would think they would take care with everything they do.
“That night we felt the full blast. I thought my work van had exploded and it rocked our whole house. All we wanted was for our gas supply to be safe and now this.”
SGN say their engineer identified a leak to one part of the meter and have denied claims the device was falling apart.
An SGN spokesperson said: “We attended a smell of gas report at a property in the Kincaidston estate after a customer called the national gas emergency service.
“Our engineer carried out safety checks and found a minor gas escape which was repaired immediately.
“This was an isolated issue but our project team will carry out further safety checks throughout the estate to provide further reassurance to the local community.
“We’d like to remind everyone that if gas is smelt either indoors or outdoors, you must call 0800 111 999 right away.”