Elderly people were evacuated from a Wolverhampton care home today amid a gas scare. A carbon monoxide alarm sounded at 8.45am, sparking the alert.

Police blocked the busy Penn Road for around five minutes to allow the 26 patients and staff of The Leylands to cross safely as pedestrian crossings were deemed too far away.

Police, fire crews and paramedics were called as a precaution alongside engineers from gas firm Transco, who found a fault with the boiler.

The problem was caused by strong winds knocking the flue down slightly which led to the build up of carbon monoxide, a colourless, odourless, toxic gas which can quickly kill in large enough doses.

All 21 residents and five staff took refuge in the nearby Penn Library before being allowed to return to The Leylands within two hours.

Deputy manager Ann Law said: “We have a carbon monoxide detector fitted in the boiler room. When the alarm went off we instigated our emergency procedure and evacuated the building.

“The lesson to be learned is it is important to have detectors fitted. Safety is paramount to us and we would like to thank the emergency services for responding so quickly.”