HUNDREDS of people bombarded an energy company with calls after a gas cloud passed over part of Southampton.

Southern Gas Networks, which delivers gas to city homes, received 420 phone messages complaining about the smell of gas on Saturday evening.

The calls came from people in the Woolston, Bitterne and city centre areas.

A Southern Gas Networks spokesman said each complaint had been investigated but no evidence of a gas leak was found.

He added: "It does happen quite a lot at this time of year. Quite often it is cargo ships venting their holds or the refinery."