With gas repairs they have to dig down to the leak so that the gas vents to atmosphere, and not build up under the tarmac or pavement. The unattended hole is a safety measure to stop the gas from building up under the surface and seeping into a property, blowing it up. The wait while everyone complains about the hole is to give any trapped gas a chance to vent out before the workers get stuck in which reducing the chance of them blowing themselves up.I rang up British Gas and asked them. Their answer to my question was either complete bo****cks or pure common sense, i'm not sure which.
Dennis Bailey ● 2593d