Market Place Shopping Centre reopens following suspected gas leak in Burgess Hill

Photos taken in the morning showed a fire engine and police vehicles at The Martlets and an area was cordoned off with police tape.

Employees of shops in the area and their customers vacated the premises.

A spokesperson for West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service said on Monday: “We are currently responding to reports of a smell of gas at The Martlets in Burgess Hill.

“The building has been evacuated, and a cordon is in place while crews carry out investigations. Sussex Police are also in attendance. We would urge everyone in the area to adhere to the cordon.”

The nearby Market Place Shopping Centre was also evacuated. This shopping centre took to Facebook to say: “The centre, including Waitrose and the car park, will remain closed for the rest of today. We will share further updates tomorrow morning. Thank you for your patience and understanding.”

The cordon remained in place for the rest of the day and Mid Sussex District Council posted an update to Facebook at 4.52pm.

The council said: “We are continuing to support the response to a gas leak at The Martlets Shopping Centre in Burgess Hill. The source has been identified and isolated, and SGN engineers are on site carrying out repair work. A cordon remains in place to keep the area safe while repairs and essential safety checks continue. Thank you for your patience and understanding.”

At 8.05am on Tuesday, August 18, Market Place Shopping Centre said: “Following safety checks overnight at the adjacent property, Market Place Shopping Centre is now reopening.

“Please note that some stores, including Waitrose, may take a couple of hours to open while they prepare to resume trading following yesterday's closure. We will keep you updated through our social media channels and thank you for your continued patience.”