'My whole family could have been blown up': Kenton mum's horror at kitchen gas leak

Samantha Routledge, her partner Brian Lodge and their little girl Scarlett. They had a gas leak in their new build house after a pipe was illegally fitted behind a kitchen drawer

A Newcastle mum has spoken of her horror at discovering her family had been living at risk of a deadly gas blast in their own home.
Samantha Routledge became concerned when she started to notice the smell of gas in the kitchen of her Kenton home on Sunday night.

After calling her gas company out to investigate, she was shocked to be told that the source of the “serious” leak was a pipe that had been fitted behind her kitchen drawer.
For the two years since moving into the new build property, the family have unwittingly been hitting a gas pipe every time they close the kitchen drawer, eventually causing a leak.
“We were told that it was such a bad leak that within 24 hours, we could have turned a light on and the whole place could have gone up,” Samantha said.
Developers Barratt Homes has now fixed the pipework but Samantha has slammed the company for “a catalogue of errors” in their treatment of the family.
Samantha Routledge, her partner Brian Lodge and their little girl Scarlett. They had a gas leak in their new build house after a pipe was illegally fitted behind a kitchen drawer
The 32-year-old says she no longer feels safe in the house on Byrewood Walk, which she shares with fiance Bryan, 37, and 18-month-old daughter Scarlett.
“Barratt Homes have taken the attitude that the issue has been fixed and they’re not taking any further action, even though my whole family could have been blown up.
“I’m looking around the house now thinking: ‘What’s going to go wrong next?’
“I want to know who carried out the work and who signed off my house. I have a gas safety certificate for the property but clearly it hasn’t been safe.
“I’ve lived here for two-and-a-half years with a hazard that could have gone at any second.
“It could have been leaking for a long time. It doesn’t bear thinking about what could have happened if we hadn’t spotted it in time.”
Samantha said she also has concerns that there may be similar problems for the other six houses on the street, which were built at the same time.
A spokesperson from Barratt Homes North East said: “After receiving reports of a gas odour on Monday, we worked closely with the gas board and the installation company to immediately cap off the leak. We then worked with the installation company to rectify the issue as soon as possible and work was completed by Tuesday morning.
“We can confirm that the placement of the pipe was legal.
“As the only national housebuilder to have been awarded 5* for quality for the last seven years, we are committed to maintaining high standards and ensuring our customers receive the best possible service.”