April 11, 2016 3.55 pm This story is over 95 months old

Residents urged to sign up for evacuation texts following major Lincoln gas leak

People in Lincoln are being urged to register for a free evacuation text service in the wake of a gas leak which caused chaos for thousands in and around the city. As reported at the time, homes, businesses and transport stations were evacuated, roads were closed and a 600m cordon was enforced on the afternoon of…
Photo: The Lincolnite

People in Lincoln are being urged to register for a free evacuation text service in the wake of a gas leak which caused chaos for thousands in and around the city.

As reported at the time, homes, businesses and transport stations were evacuated, roads were closed and a 600m cordon was enforced on the afternoon of Friday, April 8 when a digger punctured a gas main on the East West Link road site.

A 600m cordon was in place with roads closed and a number of people evacuated. Photo: The Lincolnite

A 600m cordon was in place with roads closed and a number of people evacuated. Photo: The Lincolnite

Despite widespread travel disruptions, the incident was dealt with without a hitch and roads were reopened after around three hours.

Now, the City of Lincoln Council is encouraging people who live or work in the city to sign up to a free text messaging service.

The city centre area has been divided into 27 ‘zones’ to make it easier to help people in the event of an emergency.

Anyone with a mobile phone can register for the free service by submitting their name, address and mobile phone number to: [email protected].

If an evacuation is required in their zone, they will be notified by text.

Simon Colburn, Assistant Director for Health and Environment Services, said: “The safety of everyone in Lincoln is of the utmost importance, and Friday’s events highlight the importance of a good evacuation plan.

“If something happens, we want to be able to help people as soon as possible.

“We’ve made it really easy to sign up to a free text message service, and we hope that people will make the most of it.”