Blast site neighbours must sign waivers to go home

Residents who live within a 100m (328ft) cordon of an explosion site are being asked to sign a form if they choose to return to their homes, acknowledging they do so at their own risk.

Two people died after a blast at a house on Cleat Hill, Bedford, on 19 October. It happened close to where an underground natural gas leak occurred in July following the installation of a ground source heat pump.

Fifty households have been unable to go home since the fire, unless by escort.

The letter from the police and fire service, and Bedford Borough Council, said the "cordon should remain in place for public safety", but entering it was "at your own risk". The authorities have been contacted for comment.

The letter states: "Following an explosion in Cleat Hill in October and ongoing levels of methane gas detected, the advice from the emergency services is that the cordon should remain in place for public safety. This remains in place whilst further monitoring takes place to confirm stabilisation of natural gas levels.

"Until a robust method to carry out continuous monitoring is established, there remains a threat to public safety; therefore, the advice... is to remain outside the 100-metre cordon."

Underlined, in bold, it continues: "If you choose not to follow the advice and enter the cordon, you understand that this is at your own risk."

Residents are then asked to sign the paper, agreeing that they "understand the risks presented to me and I give my informed consent for entering the cordon".

Paul Swales, 85, and his sister-in-law Julia Harris, 84, died following the explosion and subsequent fire.

Inquests into their deaths opened on Wednesday at Central Bedfordshire Coroner's Court in Ampthill.

The coroner's report stated no causes of death had been given, pending further investigation.

Earlier this month, the Health and Safety Executive said the borehole for the heat pump had been filled with cement for a second time, to make it gas-tight.

At a meeting into the blast at Bedford Borough Hall on Tuesday night, some residents alluded to the fact that people had refused to sign the new letters.

Det Insp Katherine Rivers, at Bedfordshire Police, commented that in such scenarios police officers would read the letter aloud to people wishing to go into their homes, and record any such incidents on their body-worn cameras.

Many of the households that were evacuated remain in temporary accommodation, with no timeline given for residents to return home permanently.