800 people evacuated from Cadbury offices after gas leak

Around 800 people were evacuated from the Cadbury offices in Birmingham yesterday after a gas leak.

Fire crews were sent to Bournville Lane where a mechanical digger is thought to have ruptured a gas main, leading to the evacuation of Cadbury’s Bournville Place research and development offices.

Firefighters and gas engineers were at the scene as fire crews in breathing apparatus assessed the damage to the pipe, West Midlands Fire Service said.

A spokesman for Cadbury’s owner Mondelez said: “During routine building work at our Bournville site a third-party operator damaged a gas pipe.

“As precaution, and on the advice of emergency services, we have sent home some staff who were located in areas of the site that are in close proximity to the incident.

“We expect the issue to be fully resolved and normal service resumed by tomorrow.”