PROPERTIES were evacuated after a gas leak in Salisbury on Friday.

The leak, in Exeter Street, saw nearby buildings emptied and temporary traffic lights installed at around 4.30pm as the incident was dealt with.

Drivers faced delays as gas firm SGN worked to fix the leak and ensure the gas supply is safe over the weekend.

Cllr Caroline Thomas, cabinet member for transport at Wiltshire Council, said: “We apologise to anyone affected by these emergency gas works on Exeter Street in Salisbury, but this is a serious leak that needs urgent attention to keep people safe – and as the highways authority we must allow utilities companies to do this urgent work.

“Fortunately, the affected residents have now been able to return to their properties, and SGN is hoping to finish all work on site by tomorrow (January 16).

“However, this is dependent on there being a zero gas reading in the trench – for the safety of residents in the area, SGN cannot reinstate the road or leave the site until gas readings are at safe levels, so it may take extra time.

“To help reduce traffic queues, SGN has been operating the traffic lights manually but, unfortunately as Exeter Street is a busy area, people have experienced delays and will continue to do so until the work is completed, so we would advise people to find an alternative route.

“We have been liaising regularly with SGN about this work, and getting it finished quickly and safely is a priority for them, and the traffic lights will be removed as soon as it is safe to do so.”