A WORRIED resident, who has had gas leaks outside his home for years, has been given no guarantees the problems won’t continue.

Barry Layzell, of Grove Road, Rayleigh, says he has had a gas leak on his driveway four times in the past four years, including the latest, which began three weeks ago.

Mr Layzell, 69, is worried about the safety of children at nearby Grove Wood Primary School, which is just up the road.

He said: “We have had a gas leak and had trenches outside our house for three weeks. My driveway is like a patchwork quilt. We’ve had mud everywhere for weeks. They were trying to establish where the leaks were.

“The guy who came along to fix it said the water was bubbling where the gas was coming out.

“The supervisor at National Grid said to save me any more inconvenience he was going to fill the holes in.

“They are filling the holes until they can get a gang out to establish where the leak is.”

Mr Layzell, who lives about 100 yards from Grove Wood Primary School, said the smell of the gas has been so bad that concerned passers-by have raised the alarm.

He said: “We had such a bad smell of gas – you could smell it two or three hundred yards away.

“I had two people knocking on my door about it.”

Raymond Miller, from National Grid, said he couldn’t be sure if the problem might recur.

He added: “We have been called a number of times to reports of gas escapes in Grove Road,

Rayleigh and on each occasion we have been able to repair the escape.”