A QUICK thinking garage cashier averted a potential disaster after leaking gas seeped under petrol pumps.

Firefighters say one spark could have turned the BP filling station at the entrance to Medway City Estate into a fireball.

The filling station, the Somerfields store on the same site and the nearby McDonald's were all evacuated.

A spokesman for Kent Fire and Rescue Service said: "The liquid petroleum gas leak had filled all the voids underneath the petrol forecourt and had seeped through vents into the store.

"If there had been any sort of ignition or spark at all, the whole place would have gone up. There would have been a massive explosion."

Hayley Sparkes was on shift at the BP station in Anthonys Way on Saturday when she smelt the gas as she was working behind the till.

Her bosses have praised her after she alerted her duty manager, Gary Phimister to the danger.

Hayley, 20, who is also training to be a manager, said: “Other staff began to get headaches and I realised the liquid petroleum might be leaking.

“I told my manager, Gary and he swung into action and evacuated the store and petrol station and called in the emergency services and gas engineers.”

The site was closed for more than eight hours while engineers and firefighters made the area safe and fixed the pipe.

Site manager Mike Hicks, added: “Hayley and Gary acted quickly and responsibly and did all the right things to avert an explosion.

“If it wasn’t for Hayley’s persistence in saying that the smell of gas was getting worse, Gary would not have been able to act so promptly.

“The LPG leak levels had reached such a danger point the whole petrol station could have gone up in a huge fireball.”

Firefighters from Strood Fire Station praised the staff for their quick and prompt action in evacuating the area and shutting off all electricity outlets.

A spokesman said: “The staff acted in a safe and professional manner and evacuated the surrounding area.

“Our job involved ventilating the voids under the forecourt and making sure the gas had dispersed.

“Engineers arrived as we were on site and fixed the problem and made sure no more gas could escape.”