Firefighters called to city centre pub following gas leak

A Norwich pub owner feared his premises would go up in flames after gas started leaking from its basement.

Hakim Skalli, who owns the Steam Packet at Crown Road, said firefighters were called to the pub this afternoon (October 25) as he could smell gas.

Crews from Carrow and Earlham attended the scene shortly after 2.30pm and assisted the gas board to make the area safe.

Mr Skalli said: 'The smell was very strong. And I think if we had come back a bit later, god knows what would have happened.

'If someone had turned a light on, or used a lighter, it would have gone up'.

Mr Skalli said a new gas metre had been installed at the pub earlier in the afternoon.

He initially contacted the gas board about the issue before the fire service was called.

Norfolk fire service station manager Stefan Rider said: 'An engineer has confirmed there is not an ongoing leak.'

The pub is back to operating as normal, Mr Skalli said.