A major incident room has been set up as 3,000 homes in Moreton and Leasowe are left without their gas supply.

What started as an apparently straight-forward repair this morning following a burst water main interfering with gas supply has escalated massively.

At least 53 roads in the area now have no gas - and the National Grid says it does not know when the supply will be restored.

Once the repair is made water will then need to be pumped out of the network.

More than 80 National Grid engineers are in the area to help restore gas supplies.

Every property in the affected area will be visited to ensure the gas supply is turned off at the meter.

Once all the water has been removed from the network and gas is back in the mains, a second visit will be made to turn on the supply to each property.

Alternative electrical cooking and heating facilities are being provided to vulnerable customers and an incident room has been set up at Leasowe Leisure Centre, Twickenham Drive, Leasowe, Wirral, CH46 1PF.

It is important that the local electricity network is maintained as people may increase their use of electrical appliances during the loss of gas supply. Residents are asked to use only essential electricity appliances and switch off any non-essential appliances.

Ward councillor Ian Lewis said: "There are around 3,000 homes in Moreton and Leasowe that have lost, or are about to lose, their gas supply.

"For many people, this will be their main source of heating and cooking.

"My first concern is that National Grid comes up with the list of roads affected, and fast, so that the people living in those roads can be contacted and helped, whether by National Grid, the council or Primary Care Trust, with temporary heating and cooking facilities.

"I understand a major incident room has now been established at the recreation centre but the situation is now affecting several thousand people.

"I will be looking for answers from National Grid as to how a burst water pipe came to cause so much disruption to the gas supply.

"In the meantime, we need urgent action to make sure nobody is put in any further danger."

If you are local resident and have any enquiries about the loss of gas supply in please call 0845 605 6677.

If you smell gas or have lost your gas supply please ring the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999.