A support hub for residents and businesses directly affected by Saturday night’s explosion has opened in New Ferry Village Hall.

The centre has been launched as householders are traders become increasingly concerned about when they will be allowed to return to their homes and businesses.

Wirral Council says it is still unclear when they will be given access.

The drop-in centre at Gover Road will operate on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday this week, from 10am to 4pm.

David Ball, Wirral Council’s assistant director of environmental services, said: "This is part of our ongoing commitment to helping out those worst affected by the catastrophic events of last weekend.

"We are still in the very early part of the recovery phase of this incident, but we are in it for the long haul and we are heartened by the support and assistance being given right across the community and the recovery will very much be a collaborative effort involving the whole area."

Merseyside Police and National Grid are continuing their joint inquiry to pinpoint the cause of the massive blast, which happened at around 9.15pm on Saturday.

At some stage - possibly  this Thursday but not yet confirmed - the site will be handed over to the council.

The actual clean up of the street will be conducted by specialist contractors working for the authority.

The council's building control and structural engineers will then go in and assess which structures have suffered only minor damage and a specialist team of experts will go in to prepare them for traders/residents to move back in and begin clearing up.

Shops and premises will be released on a block-by-block basis, with the cordon area being allowed to shrink.

Some buildings will have to be scaffolded before entry will be allowed. This will be for safety reasons to prevent any further collapses.

The most badly affected properties will remain closed to access and will take longer for safety work to be carried out or a decision on their future to be decided.

This is the terraced block between Griffiths the Butcher and the alleyway gap next to the Print Here shop.

The block has suffered serious structural damage with rooves lifted and dropped by the force of the explosion.

Thirty-four people were injured in the explosion.

Two were seriously hurt. A 21-year-old man remains in a critical condition in Walton hospital and a 60-year-old woman is now believed to be in a stable condition in Aintree hospital.

Among those at the drop-in centre today was Paul Smith, who lives in Bebington Road and was evacuated from his home.

He told the Globe: "There was a newspaper report a few months which read this is the most neglected town.

"As far as I'm concerned it's not just the most neglected town in Britain, it’s the most abandoned.

"It's taken a disaster for somebody to do something.

"Apparently, the affected area will be handed back next Wednesday, but I don't really want to go back there.

"There weren't just shops that were empty, they were derelict.

"I'm in shock".

Beryl Scarisbrick has lived in Port Sunlight for 40 years and daughter lives in Boundary Road in the area that was cordoned off after the explosion.

Beryl said: "Her house is open to the elements, because none of those evacuated have been allowed back home.

"Thankfully, neither Dawn or her two children were in at the time, but there in a cage in the hall and a radiator had blown up onto the top of the cage.

"The house is all open to the rain. We can't board it up because it's too badly damaged, they say, but maybe a piece of plastic filling up gaps against the rain might help protect the place.

"Port Sunlight Village Trust have said they will re-house her and the children, when it's possible, but in the meantime they are staying with me".

Dawn added: "I'm still in total shock, can't really function at the moment. I've lived there for three years.

"I'm worried about the rain getting in and damaging my belongings".

Beryl continued: "I've heard they're also thinking about re-opening the road to motorists before the houses are sorted.

"We don't want traffic to take priority over people, because the house shakes anyway as vehicles go past.

"Tiles are loose and it might just take one more shake to make them fall off". 

An update from the emergency services is expected later today.