AROUND 40 homes in Wickford were evacuated last night (Saturday, 30 October) becasue of a gas leak.

The alarm was raised in Jacks Close just after 7.30pm.

Firefighters were called to Jacks Close in Wickford at 7:38pm after residents could smell a strong smell of gas from a gas box outside one of the houses.

With the help of police a crew from Wickford Fire Station evacuated residents from around 40 homes while a 200 metre cordon was put in place.

Crews worked to make the scene safe by 8.20pm and left the scene in the care of Cadent gas engineers.