Further exploratory works will be conducted on Burlington Road, after a gas leak was reported in January.

Gas engineer Melvin Kitchener reported a strong smell of gas at the top of Burlington Road on January 24, calling Cadent's gas emergency number and waiting for an engineer to arrive.

But six weeks on, Mr Kitchener contacted the Ipswich Star to say that the leak is "definitely still" ongoing and he was worried it could be dangerous.

Cadent acknowledged the leak and said that regular checks are being carried out on the road to make sure the area remains safe.

Speaking about the initial reporting, Mr Kitchener said: "It was a very strong smell coming from a manhole cover.

"I stayed on site until the emergency engineer came and he was there within about 45 minutes.

"He said he could see a few places where it was leaking out.

"But I passed there a few days later and all they appeared to have done was to lift the manhole cover to vent it.

"It's definitely still leaking, there's a strong smell still there.

"In this day and age, we're one of the leading economies and we're a great country but we can't fix a gas leak in the ground. And it's a precious commodity at the moment, with the price and scarcity, and it's just leaking out the ground.

"It just seems odd and where it's leaking it's a common place for people to congregate and sit on the church wall and there's cigarette ends everywhere. It just seems lackadaisical."

A spokesperson for Cadent, which manages the local gas network, said: "We responded to initial reports of a smell of gas on Burlington Road, Ipswich. Since then, we have been carrying out regular checks to make sure the area remains safe and will continue to do so.

"We're working closely with the local highways authority to schedule in further exploratory works shortly.

"However, if you smell gas nearby or anywhere, always ring the national gas emergency service immediately, day or night, on 0800 111 999.

"Do not delay, or assume it's related to this work. It may not be and must be checked."