VICTIMS of the Rosehill Street explosion have spoken of the psychological trauma caused by the blast.
Engaged couple Chris Lofthouse and Emma Bell's home was badly damaged by the explosion which shook Cheltenham a year ago today.
They live across the road from number 34, where the blast took place.
The pair were lucky to escape serious injury when their front door and windows were blown in by the force of the explosion.
Chris said he and Emma have removed now the gas appliances from their home as they no longer trust their safety.
"We have a permanent fear of gas now," said 28-year-old Chris.
"We don't have any gas appliances anymore."
The Royal Air Force pilot, who has served in Afghanistan, said he and Emma suffered lasting psychological trauma as a result of the explosion.
"We were just in total shock. It took ages to get over it, as you'd expect," he said.
"Emma went to a few counselling sessions. She was having trouble sleeping and the usual post-traumatic stress symptoms."
Chris and Emma initially thought the explosion had happened inside their own home because the blast was so loud. When they realised it had come from across the road, they looked outside and saw "total devastation".
Number 34 was completely flattened and 32 and 36 had half-collapsed.
Fearing their own house would collapse, they scrambled outside through the window, because the door had caved in.
Miraculously, nobody was seriously injured by the explosion, including 82-year-old Betty Hodgkiss, who was inside number 34 when the blast happened.
Relief
"There was complete relief when we found out that everybody was ok," Chris said.
Numbers 32, 34 and 36 in Rosehill Street were destroyed by the blast and seven other houses were left badly damaged.
Chris and Emma had to stay in temporary accommodation until October while repairs were taking place at their home.
"We were a little bit scared to come back to the place originally because the last memory was a huge explosion," he added.
"It took quite a while to adjust to being back in the house.
"Every new smell and every new sound was suspicious at first.
On fireworks night last November 5, a month after we had moved back in, when the bangs started going off, everyone came out to the street and started panicking.
"I think we were all nervous because of the explosion, which is understandable.
"But now we're starting to get back to normal and get on with life again."
