A TEAM of firefighters stood by as a precaution after a builder backed his vehicle into a gas meter this morning.

The incident in Bata Avenue, East Tilbury, happened just before 11am.

The builder, who is renovating a house on the road, raised the alarm as gas fizzed from a severed pipe, making a loud noise.

A fire crew from Orsett Fire Station was quickly on the scene, followed by an emergency engineer from gas supply company Cadent who cut the supply.

Some neighbours said they were told to stay indoors during the emergency and not to use their vehicles. Others report they were advised to leave their homes. A statement from Essex For and Rescue says 20 homes were evacuated, but Thurrock Nub News (which attended the scene at 11.30am) was told by residents directly opposite the property, that they were not evacuated and simply told to stay indoors!

The area was declared safe within an hour of the alarm being raised.

A statement by Essex Fire and Rescue says: "A van struck a gas pipe in Bata Avenue today at 10.50am, causing it to split. Crews evacuated 20 homes and put a 100-metre cordon in place until gas engineers arrived to make the pipe safe, at 11.27am.

"No-one needed medical attention and residents were allowed to return to their homes."