Merseyside Police : Man, 56, charged in connection with New Ferry explosion

Merseyside Police can confirm a 56-year-old man has today, Tuesday 16th January, been charged in connection with an explosion at the junction of Boundary Road and Circular Drive, New Ferry, Wirral, on the evening of 25th March 2017.

Pascal Blasio, of Gillingham, Kent, is charged with causing an explosion likely to endanger life. The particulars of the charge being that on 25th March 2017 at Birkenhead unlawfully and maliciously caused by an explosive substance an explosion of a nature likely to endanger life or cause serious injury to property.

He has been released on conditional bail and will appear at Wirral magistrates court on Wednesday 4th April 2018.

Contract Natural Gas Limited (CNG), an independent gas supplier which provides gas exclusively to business customers, has also been charged with an offence under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 for failing to discharge general health/safety duty to a person other than an employee. The particulars of the charge being that between 22/8/2012 and 25/3/2017 at Birkenhead, failed to conduct its undertaking to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of persons not in its employment, including Lewis Jones, by failing to ensure that the redundant live gas service to 43 Bebington Road was disconnected following removing the meter.