A digger has been revealed as the cause of the gas leak that saw 150 people evacuated from their homes in Bicester.

Network Rail yesterday said the digger had struck a gas pipe on the London Road level crossing on Thursday, causing the road to be shut off by police for about five hours.

Network Rail spokesman Chris Denham said: “Our first priority is safety, and as a precaution, the road was temporarily closed to traffic and local residents evacuated as a precautionary measure.

“We are sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused.”