Major pipe upgrade work to the gas mains in St Albans is due start on Monday.

The work in Cross Street is expected to take nine weeks to complete.

The work, which will be carried out by National Grid, will help keep the gas flowing to homes and businesses in the area for many years to come.

It is part of an £800 million investment National Grid is making to renew gas mains in the East of England.

The project involves replacing 355 metres of existing metal gas mains with hardwearing modern plastic pipes, which have been designed to last for at least 80 years.

Streets that will be affected by the work include: Cross Street, Spencer Street, Upper Dagnall Street, Lower Dagnall Street, Queen Street, Spicer Street, French Row, Christopher Place, Market Place and Heritage Close.

To carry out the work safely, Queen Street will be closed from January 26 to February 16, and a diversion will be put in place.

National Grid Authorising Engineer, Dilbir Chana, said: "We're sorry for any inconvenience caused by our work. This is an essential project and will ensure that local people and businesses continue to enjoy safe and reliable gas supplies for many years to come.

"We need to carry out extensive work and for the safety of all concerned we'll need to temporarily close Queen Street.

"We'll make every effort to complete the work as soon as we can. We'd like to thank local people and businesses for their patience and co-operation."