I am aware of the major incident involving a burst water main, and the subsequent flooding of a gas main, leaving around 1200 homes in Stannington without gas. I am on the ground in the constituency, supporting constituents and working with Cadent, who run the gas network, towards a resolution. They have so far removed 400,000 litres of water from the gas lines.

I have further meetings planned with Yorkshire Water, and I am in ongoing talks with the leadership of the council on getting support to residents. I have also spoken directly with the Chancellor of the Exchequer urging him to provide emergency funding to the council, and have written to him formally, alongside the Secretaries of State for Business, for the Environment, and for Levelling-up, to request urgent assistance.

My heart goes out to all those affected – this is a terrible thing to happen at any time, let alone weeks before the holiday season. In the coming days and weeks, I will be supporting those affected in whatever way I can and have stationed a member of staff in the emergency hub to action any casework arising from the incident.

If you have been affected, please contact Cadent’s dedicated line, which is 0800 917 9598. I will be posting regular updates on my social media, and Cadent are posting updates on their website, here.