A concerned councillor has warned a potential gas explosion in a local park must not be "shrugged off" by the local authority.
The gas leak incident took place at 5.30pm on Thursday April 27 in the Wallace Park area following work carried out by a third party contractor. A member of the public raised the alarm.
Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council confirmed the leak at Wallace Park, which is a popular public area and recreation ground.
READ MORE: Belfast and Lisburn residents fight for answers as smell impacts communities.
A spokesperson said: “Emergency services and Phoenix Gas engineers attended Wallace Park in Lisburn and the area was evacuated for a time as a precaution.
“Following a repair to a gas leak, the emergency services and engineers left the scene and the Park reopened as normal.”
An apparatus from gas supplier Phoenix Energy had been damaged by a third party contractor. The gas connection was for the locally based Lisburn Cricket Club.
Castlereagh South SDLP councillor Simon Lee said: "First of all the conscientious member of the public who not only detected this leak, but took the time to report it is to be highly commended.
"I shudder to think what could have happened if this leak had been left unreported for much longer.
"Prolonged exposure can lead to gas poisoning, and of course there is the terrifying prospect of a potential explosion.
"There are also environmental implications to be considered too.
"A near miss like this can’t just be shrugged off. I am just grateful that we are not talking about someone being hurt.
"It is very alarming that this was not detected by the contractor.
"Gas is obviously extremely dangerous and given the risks associated with it, there must be the most robust safety protocols in place.
"I hope this incident will be thoroughly investigated and lessons learned to ensure this doesn’t happen again."
In 2010, the council undertook a major refurbishment of Wallace Park, which was completed in 2012, including a new children’s play area and a new sports pavilion built beside re-laid tennis courts.
A Phoenix Energy spokesperson said: "Our engineers were on site and had the leak isolated within 45 minutes.
"The area had already been made secure at this time by the NI Fire and Rescue Service who had cordoned off the area.
"The damage to the Phoenix apparatus, which is located at Wallace Park and supplies the Lisburn Cricket Club, was incurred by a third-party contractor that had been carrying out work to the football pitch, and in the process damaged the main.
"The damage was fully repaired the same day. Before leaving the scene, the Phoenix Energy engineers did a final test of the area to ensure no gas remained. At no point was there any immediate risk to the public.
"To confirm, our first notification of the smell of gas we believe came from a member of the general public, which would suggest that it had not been identified by the third-party contractor.
"Whilst the work was being undertaken by the third-party contractor to the grounds, their machinery inadvertently caused damage to the gas infrastructure."
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