VISITORS fled from their hotels after a gas leak caused a Blackpool street to tremble on Tuesday night (August 22).

Hotels in Trafalgar Road were evacuated after the ground started moving, causing lamp posts to sway. Hoteliers and visitors who went out into the street to investigate could smell gas.

Hotelier Pete Atkins, who phoned the emergency services after his hotel began to shake, said: "I was in the bar when I felt the floor move. I went out into the street and there was a strong smell of burning and gas.

"The lamp posts were swaying and the road was trembling. It was terrifying," said the owner of the Kingsway Hotel.

"People were kneeling down to try and find where the smell was coming from and I thought to myself, 'this is very dangerous, the whole street could blow up at any moment' so I phoned the fire and the gas board."

Residents were moved to nearby hotels on Lytham Road for three hours until the road was made safe. A spokesman for the gas board said an electrical fault had caused a gaspipe to rupture.