Advance warning has been issued for major gar repairs in Gloucester from May 12 which will entail a city-centre street being closed to all traffic for 11 days.

Wales and West Utilities (WWU) says its teams will be upgrading gas pipes in the Upton Street area for work which is "essential to keep the gas flowing safely to heat and power local homes and businesses, keeping people warm for generations to come". Barring any engineering difficulties, the upgrade work will finish at the beginning of July.

A WWU spokesperson said: "The gas emergency and pipeline service has worked with Gloucester County Council to plan these works and it has been agreed that traffic management will be in place."

This includes a road closure on Upton Street, which runs parallel to much of Barton Street, between Clement Street and St James Street on May 27 - June 6, while traffic lights will be in place at all other times. Signage will be in place to direct traffic accordingly.

Mick Gallavin, managing the project for WWU, added: "This work is essential make sure the gas network is ready to transport hydrogen and biomethane, so we can all play our part in a green future. While most of the gas network is underground and out of sight, it plays a central role in the daily lives of people across the wider area.

He added: "We'll have a team of gas engineers on site throughout the project to make sure our work is completed as safely and quickly as possible while keeping disruption to a minimum."

● Further information can be obtained from WWU's Customer Service Team on freephone 0800 912 2999. The service's gas leak alert number is 0800 111 999.