KENDAL town centre was brought to a standstill with long tailbacks for motorists and a drop in profits for shopkeepers after contractors working for United Utilities ruptured a nine-inch cast iron gas pipe on Highgate Bank, reports Ruth Lythe.

The pipe was punctured by a JCB digger at around 1pm on Friday, and caused the road between Gillinggate and Kendal Town Hall to be sealed off to traffic for four hours.

Shopkeepers, already blaming the water main replacement work for a fall in trade over the past three months, were angry about this latest incident.

Joan Garrett, the owner of Global Trading in Highgate, said that only two customers had visited her shop on the afternoon of the leak.

"Trade has been particularly bad this afternoon but it has been bad since the roadworks began. Kendal is dying on its feet," she said.

Alan Kirby, manager of Kendal Cut Price, Highgate, reported a similar loss in profits. He said that during the afternoon of the leak the shop had had "far fewer customers" and was "considerably down on profits." He added that trade had been generally quiet during the past three months while water mains work had been carried out.

Hans Ullrich, owner of the Turning Point gift shop on Highgate, said that he had decided to close during the leak because "nobody could walk across the shop front."

A spokesman for United Utilities said: "We apologise to anyone inconvenienced by it (the gas leak) and we try to be as careful as we can but sometimes things like this happen."

Jeanette Jackson, of TRANSCO, said the gas company would be charging United Utilities for the call out to repair the damaged pipe. The leak is the third of its type in Kendal since United Utilities began work on the town's water mains in February.

"We have offered supervision for any further work with gas pipes by contractors for United Utilities during the set period," she said.

l Since Monday, Allhallows Lane, Kendal, has also been blocked off while United Utilities carries out the final stage of water mains work in the road. A spokesman for United Utilities said that the work was expected to continue for three weeks. He added that his firm would leave access for deliveries wherever possible.