Jonathan MorrisSouth West
BBCHomes and other buildings in south Devon have been left without gas after a mains pipe was damaged.
The outage, which affects properties on the Wales & West Utilities network in the Kingsbridge and Salcombe area, started on Saturday afternoon with temperatures expected to drop to freezing overnight.
Kingsbridge and Salcombe town councils urged people with no gas to call the National Gas Emergency Service, turn off their supply at the mains and await an engineer.
Wales and West said the outage was caused by a third party working on land at Belle Hill near Kingsbridge amid reports that a fence post had been driven through the mains pipe.
A spokesperson for Wales & West Utilities said: “A third-party has damaged our gas main near Kingsbridge in Devon and we are aware that this is affecting gas supplies to some customers here and in the surrounding area.
“We have a team of engineers on site at this moment assessing the damage and planning the necessary repair.”
The company said it would provide further updates later.
The outage came amid warnings of ice and snow in Devon as temperatures are expected to drop to freezing overnight.
One woman wrote on Facebook: “Couldn’t be worse weather for this to happen. Please check on any elderly/vulnerable neighbours tonight.”
Offers of help including a spare electric heater for the vulnerable were being made on social media.
The Codfather fish and chip shop in Kingsbridge announced it would not be opening as a result of the outage.
