Police evacuated homes and sealed off roads in Gorleston after residents complained of a strong chemical smell coming from drains.People had to leave their homes in the Trafalgar Road east area of the town last night while the source of the strong smell was being investigated.
Police evacuated homes and sealed off roads in Gorleston after residents complained of a strong chemical smell coming from drains.
People had to leave their homes in the Trafalgar Road east area of the town last night while the source of the strong smell was being investigated.
The investigations revealed that the cause of the odour was the result of the drains being cleaned recently and that there was no safety risk posed by the smell.
Police started the evacuation at about 5.30pm and people were allowed to return to their homes at 7pm.
Insp Paul McCarthy, who led the operation, said: 'Our priority is the safety and welfare of the public and we take all such incidents where the presence of chemicals is suspected very seriously.
'Thankfully this matter was resolved swiftly and the disruption to local residents and motorists was kept to a minimum.
'We thank those people affected by this incident for their patience and understanding.'
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