Work carried out for a mobile phone operator caused a gas leak which closed part of a major city road for 24 hours, it emerged today.

The gas emergency service Transco gave the all-clear for Oxford's Magdalen Bridge to be re-opened at 3.30pm on Saturday, in time for the rush hour.

Roy Payne, of Cable and Wireless, said the firm employed contractors on behalf of Vodafone to lay a cable to improve reception for mobile phone users in the city centre. However, when contractors were digging they accidentally hit the large gas main near Magdalen College.

He said: "Occasionally this happens. Once the gas main has been secured, we will go back and complete the work."

No-one from Newbury-based Vodafone was available for comment. The closure did not deter shoppers, who were advised not to drive into the city centre but use buses and Park-and Rides instead.

Tim Kay, 23, serving at McDonald's in Cornmarket Street, said: "The closure of the bridge didn't affect us in the slightest. At breakfast time trade was good, at lunchtime it was even better and by tea-time it was stonking."

Any businesses seriously affected by the bridge closure are expected to consult insurers about compensation. Insp Dennis Evernden, of Oxford police, said city council emergency planners, highways engineers, Transco engineers and police worked together to minimise disruption.

"We received hundreds of calls from the public asking for constant updates and our switchboard operators had to deal with calls quickly to free up the lines for emergency calls," he said.

Christine Riches, from Transco, said: "We worked as fast as possible to get the bridge open to catch the tea-time traffic."

Story date: Monday 15 March

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