A GAS leak forced firefighters to cordon off Warminster town centre and evacuate shops on Friday.

The fire brigade was called at 1.30pm when the gas concentration of the leak rose above safety limits. A BT engineer detected the dangerous level in an underground joint box in the Market Place.

Warminster fire station officer Chris Trimby said: "As a precaution, a 30-metre area was cordoned off and traders were evacuated from shops on one side of the street for an hour until the gas dispersed.

"We couldn't take any risks, as it could have been ignited by cars, cigarettes or mobile phones.

"After an hour the concentration had fallen back within acceptable limits."

Caroline Davidson, spokesman for Transco, said: "We found a couple of leaks and a repair was carried out. There should be no further inconvenience."