POLICE are investigating after a gas main was ripped out of the back of a ground floor flat in the early hours of the morning.
The incident happened in Gateshead at about 12.25am, on Wednesday, (Feb 26th) after a suspicious looking man was spotted in the garden of an address down Old Durham Road.
Transco and the fire service attended the scene and evacuated the flat and neighbouring properties immediately.
Chief Inspector Sheila Foggon, from Gateshead Area Command, said: "This is mindless damage which could have had far more serious consequences had the homeowner slept through the gas leak and not alerted emergency services".
Anyone with information is asked to ring Northumbria Police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800-555-111.
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