Nursery and primary school evacuated - firefighters on scene help parents collect children

A primary school and a nursery in Bootle were evacuated on Wednesday morning following reports of a smell of gas in the area.

Parents were called out to collect their children from Bedford Primary School and Cambridge Nursery as staff and students vacated the premises.

Merseyside Fire and Rescue were called to the scene at Cambridge Road and Quarry Road at around 8:45am and helped with the exodus.

Firecrews and Merseyside’s gas emergency service Cadent investigated the incident and local residents were advised to close their windows and avoid the area if possible.

A spokesperson for Sefton Council said: “Following reports of a smell of gas in the area, Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service have been in attendance at Cambridge Road, Bootle.

“Staff and students from Cambridge Road Nursery and Bedford Primary have been evacuated as a precautionary measure so investigations can take place.

“All children and staff have been safely evacuated and parents have been notified, there have been no reports of ill-health as a result of this incident.

Cadent later confirmed that gas had come from a damaged pipe.

A spokesperson said: “While there was no fault with the gas network, we found there had been third-party damage to a gas pipe. This has now been fixed. We are carrying out our final checks of properties in the immediate vicinity and will then leave site.

“This has been a fantastic response by the emergency services and local agencies, to make sure everyone is safe and looked after. It is also a reminder that, if ever you smell gas, day or night, act immediately and call the national gas emergency service on 0800 111 999.”