Roads near to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle city centre have been closed and the Newcastle University campus evacuated after a "gas escape" in the area.
The police, fire service and teams from Northern Gas Networks have been on the scene of a damaged gas main on Thursday afternoon in Queen Victoria Road outside of the hospital. This has seen roads closed including the Great North Road, Claremont Road, Richardson Road and Barras Bridge, but the RVI itself is understood to be operating normally.
Northern Gas Networks said there had been "third party damage to a medium-pressure gas main". During the afternoon, the smell of gas was present in the area.
