ALL underground metal pipes carrying the gas that caused the Maryhill factory disaster should be dug up and replaced with more safe material an inquiry has concluded.

ALL underground metal pipes carrying the gas that caused the Maryhill factory disaster should be dug up and replaced with more safe material an inquiry has concluded.

Lord Gill's report into the disaster that killed nine people in the ICL explosion in May 2004 has recommended inspections across the country to discover unsafe pipework and factory premises.

The report of the inquiry by Lord Gill was published today after survivors, and experts gave evidence last year.

The factory building collapsed after a liquid petroleum gas escaped through a broken pipe into a basement which built up into a cloud before it was ignited.

The report said that despite a series of inspection visits over 30 years only one spotted the dangers of the underground pipe which eventually fractured causing the leak.

Despite a recommendation it should be excavated another cheaper option was proposed by the company and suppliers Calor, which was accepted by health and safety officials.

In his report Lord Gill said: " HSE accepted Calor's counter-proposal without questioning whether it would achieve the objective of The recommendation. He added: "What matters is that the recommendation was not followed through.

The pipe was not excavated. Thereafter no one thought to ascertain the condition of the pipe.

"In due course the condition of the pipe was not considered in any of the risk assessments carried out by ICL Tech. Its existence was completely missed."

Five men and four women people died in the explosion on May 11 2004.

Stewart McColl, Ann Trench, Tracey McErlane, Kenneth Murray, Annette Doyle, Peter Ferguson, Tim Smith, Thomas McAulay and Margaret Brownlie lost their lives in the blast Lord Gill also recommended a new safety regime for the installation and use of LPG equipment.