MARKET Street in Crediton has re-opened late this afternoon following a collapse of a section of the old Victorian sewer in the highway on Sunday, July 22 and subsequent rupture of a gas main while engineers were trying to repair it on Thursday, July 26.

The gas main rupture caused the evacuation of offices. A corden was set up and firefighters and police evacuated workers in local businesses.

Firefighters from Crediton and Exeter used jets of water to prevent ignition and “disperse” the gas.

Wales and West Utilities were able to locate the pipe and repair it and the South West Water engineers were then able to return to work on the collapsed sewer.

Motorists are advised that there will be a road closure in Parliament Street in Crediton from Wednesday, August 8 for a maximum of five days.

The work, by Kier on behalf of South West Water, is to repair a service pipe leak.