Last updated at 11:19, Wednesday, 28 July 2010

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IN October 1963 workmen were busy installing a £500,000 new Micro-Simplex gas plant at Salthouse gasworks in Barrow.

It was claimed to be able to produce the purest, cleanest gas anywhere in the North West.

However, the gasworks was almost the scene of a major disaster in June 1973 when the whole site was cordoned off by firemen.

A train of 10 petrol tankers prematurely pulled away from nearby fuel storage valves which fractured the hoses and led to a slick of fuel within 30 yards of huge petrol storage cylinders.

Red notices warning people not to smoke or expose naked flames were placed along road approaches and at the gasworks gates.

A spokesman for the gas board was confident that gas stored at the works would have been safe even if the petrol tanks had exploded.

A spokesman told the Evening Mail: “The danger was with the petrol tanks if there had been a fire.

“The gas holders were not in danger. Even in the war when they were bombed they were not dangerous unless air got into them.”

The petrol tankers on the train held 8,400 gallons of fuel and firemen put down up to 10,000 gallons of foam to cover the spillage.

First published at 11:06, Wednesday, 28 July 2010
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk