Last updated at 20:16, Thursday, 16 February 2012

A three-day closure was the last thing that traders in Workington’s Murray Road area would have wanted.

This week’s major street shutdown, caused by a gas leak, will have cost businesses there thousands of pounds.

But there was a stoical acceptance of the situation by traders who understood that public safety was paramount.

These are tough times for the high street in general, and business people probably have so much on their minds that they don’t need to get too sniffy about a gas repair.

The majority of businesses on Murray Road felt it was a situation that simply couldn’t be helped.

You don’t mess around with gas, and Northern Gas Networks were certainly prepared to err on the side of caution as long as readings indicated that not everything was back to normal.

“It’s all about safety. We are just making sure we have done our job right,” said a gas company spokesman.

Some people made noises about seeking compensation, but the overriding response was one of patience and understanding.

This incident goes to show that not everybody resorts to knee-jerk reactions and cries of “foul” when misfortune strikes.

Having gone through the impact of the floods just two years ago, Workington’s business community certainly knows how to cope.

We just hope things get back to normal for them very soon.

First published at 19:20, Thursday, 16 February 2012
Published by http://www.timesandstar.co.uk