RESIDENTS were left fearing an explosion after a car crashed into a house and burst a gas pipe.

Barrow’s Westmorland Street was cordoned off by police on Friday night after a Mercedes collided with the pipe, causing gas to seep out.

Fire crew were called to the scene just before 8pm.

Rus Edgar, who lives next door to the house affected, raced out of his home to help.

Mr Edgar, 33, said: “I heard this massive bang and I thought there had been a crash.

“I went out and to see what had happened and the gas pipe was damaged.

“I could hear a hissing sound so I ran into the house and turned off the gas.

“Everyone came out to see what had happened.”

He said the next thing he knew police and fire crews descended on the street to tackle the problem.

A crew of firefighters from Ulverston used environmental equipment to plug the gap and stop the leak from the pipe while police blocked access to the street.

They were there for just over an hour before handing over to Cadent gas engineers.

Police have launched an investigation into how the crash happened.

Mr Edgar added: “It was terrifying. I didn’t know what was going to happen.

“I was so scared that someone was going to walk past with a lit cigarette and there would be some big explosion.

“Thank god the fire crew came and sorted it out.”

The emergency services decided not to evacuate the street.

They then handed over to Cadent emergency gas engineers.

A Cadent spokeswoman said the engineers had returned the next day to repair the pipe.

She said: “Cadent’s gas emergency engineers were called to attend a house following a report that a car had driven into a service gas pipe to a residential property.

“The emergency engineer made it safe and turned off the gas supply to one property.

“Engineers returned on Saturday morning to repair the damaged pipe and switch the gas supply back on.

“The cause of the accident is being investigated by the police.”

A “No Smoking” warning is in place around the pipe.