Firemen arrived at the scene of the crash to find gas had been leaking from the fractured valve for about 20 minutes.

A lot of gas had escaped, said a spokesman for Knutsford Fire Brigade.

It is believed two cars had collided on Friday morning as they tried to overtake a slow-moving van near the Hidden Nursery in Plumley Moor Road.

The second car hit the gas valve before smashing into a parked car and landing in a garden.

The other car hit a hedge near the nursery entrance.

There were no serious injuries but one driver was taken to Macclesfield Hospital.

Residents nearby were asked to turn off their gas supply while the leak was repaired. The owner of the house where the car landed was shocked.

If my children had been playing in the garden or we had been getting into the car we wouldnt have had a chance, she said.

Im still waiting to find out if my car is a write-off or not.

The woman, who asked not to be named, said many Plumley residents were worried about cars speeding through the village.

Cars come down this road at such a speed and something needs to be done about it before someone is killed, she said.