Gas restored early to homes hit by Kilburn sinkhole

Some 50 homes and 120 people were cleared from their homes in Malvern Road and Malvern Mews on January 4 after a six-inch gas main ruptured.

As Cadent gas network engineers tried to stem the leak, they discovered a sinkhole four metres wide and four metres deep caused by a burst waste water main.

Some households in Malvern Road could not access their homes for days, and residents in Malvern Mews were originally told their gas supply could take until mid-February to restore,  but people in the area have been given good news.

Firefighters at the scene (Image: London Fire Brigade)

Cadent has confirmed that houses will now be able to turn their gas supply on, once inspectors have visited to complete safety checks at each property.

A spokesperson said last night (January 15): “So if people are home, we can get them back on gas tonight.”

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The good news was issued shortly after the paper was informed of further complaints about the conditions some residents faced without an active supply.

One man, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “Whilst Brent Council mentioned that electric heaters and electric blankets are being provided by Cadent, these are quite scarce – blankets are non-existent.

“And we only received a small heater for an entire apartment.”

An electric heater handed out by Cadent (Image: Handout)

The electric heater appeared to be near the size of the man’s hand, and it meant that most of the apartment remained cold, with some rooms being 9C.

A Cadent spokesperson explained prior to the gas being restored: “We have been in touch with all of the customers and we have delivered letters to all who were still without gas.

“In this letter we explained why we are limited in the amount of electrical appliances we could provide each flat.  This is due to not overloading the electricity network.  We don’t want people without gas and electricity.”

The company claimed that contact details were provided in a letter for anyone with issues with the items provided, and residents were visited “at least a couple of times” to make sure they were fine.

Cadent says that engineers will be in the area for a few more days while work is completed in the area.