Scores of people were evacuated from a block of flats in Battersea on Sunday evening after a major gas leak.

Firefighters were called at 10.40pm to Kite House in Meyrick Road, where a metre showed there was high risk of explosion.

About 40 residents were taken to a rest centre on the corner of Plough Road and York Road, where they remained until 5am.

Phil Emberson, blue watch crew manager at Battersea fire station, said: “There was a very very nasty smell of gas down there.

“At that time, there was nobody around, but it was a case of standing by in case there was an explosion.

“There was a very high chance of explosion.”

Expert engineers from Southern Gas Networks were working on the leak since just before 1pm that day.

At first the gas levels were safe, but they rose during the day despite efforts to make repairs.

The cause of the leak is thought to be a ruptured gas main outside the building, with gas seeping inside via cable ducts in the ground.

At one point in the evacuation, a couple were unaccounted for- but they later arrived back after a night out.

Two fire engines from Battersea and Wandsworth attended the scene, with a relief crew from Hammersmith taking over at 3am.

Morvan Smith, spokesman for Southern Gas Networks, said the leak was now secure and the cause was under investigation.

She added there was no danger to the public, but said the evacuation took place as a “precautionary measure”.

She said: “We apologise for the fact that this incident happened but the evacuation was necessary in order to ensure the safety of residents in the building.

“Safety is our highest priority and that’s why we took the decision to evacuate.”

Residents will not be compensated for their inconvenience because according to Southern Gas Networks the circumstances do not meet the criteria of Ofgem, the energy regulatory body.

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