POLICE evacuated a Southampton pub and sealed off a road following a suspected gas leak last night.

Officers were called to The Lizard Lounge in Bedford Place at about 7.15pm after gas began leaking from an area under renovation.

While officers were clearing the building, they were alerted to a manhole cover exploding just yards away outside Seymours pub in nearby Carlton Place.

Members of the public were cleared from the road, which was sealed off as engineers from Transco and Southern Electric tried to solve the problem.

PC Paul Peplow, of Southampton police's cycle unit, said: "It is believed that the two incidents are unconnected.

"We are not sure what has caused the explosion but we believe that it could be related to gas or electric.

"As far as we are aware, the incidents are unconnected and a gas leak in the Lizard Lounge is related to renovation work being carried out."

Salesman Steve Darley, 25, of Bassett, Southampton, who witnessed the drama, said: "I just heard this huge bang at the other end of the street. It sounded like a car backfiring.

"I didn't think too much about it and went into the pub but then we saw police arrive and clear everyone out of the streets."

A spokesman for Hampshire police's force control room said the incident had been safely concluded by 10pm last night.