Shoppers evacuated from Queen Street after reports of a smell of gas

Emergency services have been called to the WHSmith store


Members of the public have been asked to avoid Cardiff’s Queen Street after reports of smoke coming from WHSmith’s basement stockroom.

Queen Street is closed from St David’s Shopping Centre down to Natwest, along with several other nearby stores, as fire crews investigate a gas smell which occurred this morning.

Smoke was seen coming from the basement of WHSmith

Emergency services arrived at 11.11am and customers were alerted to the situation by store fire alarms and announcements telling them to get out.

After the smell gradually spread from WHSmith, people were evacuated from Next and M & S.

Richard Jones, Wales & West Utilities Gas Emergency Service Manager for South Wales, said to Wales Online: “We have been alerted to reports of a smell of gas on Queen Street Cardiff this morning and have sent engineers to the area.

“We are working with the emergency services to investigate the cause of the smell.

“As a precaution, the emergency services have evacuated several nearby shops.”

More updates on this story to follow.