VANDALS are being blamed for causing a massive gas leak which sealed off a major city centre road.

Traffic gridlock followed the suspected attack on waste ground in Layerthorpe which cracked a pipe and shot clouds of gas into the air.

Gas workers and engineers struggled for hours to try to bring the leak under control.

The leak, from a pipe situated close to Transco's York gas operation centre, was discovered early yesterday afternoon.

Part of Layerthorpe was sealed off for 12 hours after the leak was uncovered, next to the Frog Hall pub.

An open excavation was taking place on the land to replace old gas mains.

At around 2pm, police officers and firefighters were called to the scene and residents were asked to keep their doors and windows closed.

A hiss of gas was clearly audible more than 200 yards away. And pedestrians were able to smell gas a quarter-of-a-mile away.

It was more than six hours before workers had made the area safe enough for engineers to begin fixing the pipe. They finished work at about 2.30am.

A Transco spokesman said: "There was a leak to the gas main. It was a medium pressure gas main on one of our own Transco sites.

"There was no safety issue as the gas was simply venting into the atmosphere. We have been working in the area on an open excavation.

"All the correct safety procedures were adhered to. We think vandals have dropped something on to the pipe.

"There was no danger to the public as the gas was just going into the atmosphere. We made a repair and workers finished at about 2.30am. The road was reopened shortly afterwards."

At the Frog Hall, which had to be closed, landlord Wayne Allan said: "I went up the stairs and I could hear hissing.

"I looked out of the window and what looked like gas was just spraying eight to ten feet.

"Obviously it has hurt the business, no one was here. We have been packed and ready just in case we have to leave."

At the ATS garage, manager Mark Clayton added: "It has affected our business as vehicles are not coming through. There was a large, constant cloud from the area. It stank."

The leak caused traffic headaches for motorists travelling in the area around Layerthorpe.

Tailbacks caused delays as motorists struggled to bypass the closed road, with journeys taking up to half-an-hour longer than usual.

Updated: 09:13 Friday, December 21, 2001