A supermarket was evacuated after a gas alert at a chip shop next door.

Shoppers at Budgens, in The Square, Botley, Oxford, found themselves being ushered outside after the alert at the neighbouring Delicious Fish Bar yesterday.

Fire crews were called after reports of a strong smell of gas coming from the closed chip shop at 12.10pm. They sealed off the precinct, fearing a 'large concentration' of gas inside could lead to an explosion.

About 20 people were evacuated from the supermarket.

Firefighters also checked neighbouring shops, and flats above the chip shop, but found them empty.

They were about to break in when they found someone with a key and the gas supply was isolated.

Gas supply company Transco believed the gas came from an appliance which had been left on. Spokesman Nicky Saint said: "There was quite a build up of gas, so we evacuated the supermarket as a precaution.

"It is difficult to say whether there was a serious danger of an explosion. But there is no doubt that if the situation had been left much longer it could have been dan- gerous."

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