Gas leak? Nah, just durian doing its thing in an English town
LONDON, Sept 24 — A seaside town in Lancashire, England briefly mistook the King of Fruits for a public hazard this week when locals reported a “strong smell of gas” on the high street — prompting a full-on visit from Cadent engineers and even police officers.
Cadent, the UK company responsible for maintaining the gas pipelines that deliver fuel to homes and businesses, sent engineers to investigate — only to discover that the source of the panic in Lytham St Annes was South-east Asia’s famously stinky durian, after it was stocked by greengrocer Strongs Fruit and Veg on September 16.
UK’s The Times newspaper reported on Monday that staff members Wai Peng Cheng, 51, and Candy Pooi Kuan Lam, 46, had suggested the exotic treat after a recent holiday to Malaysia.
Cheng recalled the chaos: “We saw a gas engineer pull up in front of the shop at around 1pm and he went into the charity shop next door.
“About an hour later he tried the body care shop on the other side before coming inside Strongs.
“He said he was looking for a gas leak and that the charity shop next door had reported it after a customer told them about the strong gassy smell.”
Once the engineer got a whiff of the real culprit, the tension dissolved into laughter.
“When I took him outside and gave one to him, he realised,” Cheng said.
“We all just started laughing. It was hilarious.”
Shop owner Andrew Simpkins, 61, admitted he underestimated the fruit’s power.
“I knew it smelled bad but I didn’t think it would bring the gas board out.
“They told me there were some police officers there too.”
Still, the £22 (RM125)-per-500g fruit has “flown off the shelf”.
Phil Hendrick of Cadent confirmed that “no trace of gas” was found at the shop or adjoining properties.
“Over the years, we’ve traced reported smells to a variety of sources — from factory discharges and aviation fuel, to dockside activities and, on this occasion, durian fruit, which is known for its particularly strong odour,” he reportedly said.
The takeaway? In Lytham St Annes, fear of gas may be justified — but only if it’s fighting the ferocious whiff of durian.
[Source: Malay Mail]
