Man, 63, killed in suspected gas explosion in York

More than a dozen houses have been damaged in an explosion that claimed the life of a man in Haxby, near York, police said.

A 63-year-old man, named locally as Paul Wilmott, died after a suspected gas explosion obliterated the house on Springwood.

Insp Steve Breen of North Yorkshire Police

said it is an isolated incident, there are not believed to be any suspicious circumstances, and a gas explosion is thought to be the cause.

Insp Breen said: “We are grateful of the support and patience of residents here, because there has been a great deal of disturbance in the street.”

The man’s body was recovered from the home destroyed in the blast. Police said that to the best of their knowledge there was only one person at the address.

Insp Breen said the affected detached property had been completely destroyed, and that houses either side had been “very, very badly damaged”. He added: “Houses across the road have suffered glass damage — a dozen or more properties have also been damaged.

Officers were working with Northern Gas Networks to investigate the possible cause of the incident — the electricity board also switched off power within a 200m radius of the incident.