Has a Santa mystery been uncovered beneath the streets of Droylsden?

A festive mystery may have been unearthed beneath the streets of Droylsden after engineers discovered a vintage toy car inside a gas main near Manchester.

The unusual find was made during essential works to replace some of the oldest gas pipes in the area, prompting playful speculation that Father Christmas himself could be using the underground gas network as a secret delivery route.

The discovery was made earlier this month when contractors working on behalf of gas network operator Cadent were carrying out a camera survey of a cast iron gas main in Canberra Street. Inside the pipe, engineers spotted what appeared to be a small toy vehicle.

The item has since been identified as a die-cast Dinky Toys Daimler Scout Car – a model of a British light reconnaissance vehicle used during the Second World War and manufactured between 1942 and the 1960s.

The find has inevitably sparked festive curiosity. Could this be evidence of Santa Claus and his elves quietly navigating Britain’s vast underground gas network to deliver presents unseen on Christmas Eve?

With more than 83 per cent of UK homes connected to the local gas distribution network, the theory has a certain whimsical appeal. However, sceptics point out the practical challenges, not least how toys might enter a sealed gas system and travel through increasingly narrow pipes leading into individual homes.

A more down-to-earth explanation is that the toy was placed in the pipe decades ago, possibly by mischievous children, when the gas main was originally installed in the 1960s.

The image which greeted the engineers as they sent a camera down the underground gas main. Credit: Cadent

The discovery was made by Shane Mulhern, director of Stockport-based gas main-laying company PMCE, which is supporting Cadent in its programme to modernise gas infrastructure across Greater Manchester.

“Before we insert the new polyethylene gas pipes into the old iron mains, we camera them to locate the services and check for any obstructions,” he said.

“I was pushing the camera along the main in Canberra Street when I came across what looked like a toy car. I couldn’t believe my eyes.

“When we later broke out a section of the main, I was able to retrieve it. After looking it up, I found it was a Dinky toy made up to the 1960s, which matches the age of the pipe.

“The way gas pipes were installed back then was very different to how we do it now, and we do occasionally find foreign objects. Over the years I’ve come across trousers and even a newspaper from 1957.”

Experienced Cadent engineers say such discoveries, while unusual, are not unheard of. Items previously found inside old gas mains include footballs, oil cans, boots, planks of wood and even a golf club. Unless an object causes a significant blockage, it is unlikely to affect the safe distribution of gas.

The works in Droylsden form part of a nationwide 30-year programme to replace ageing metallic gas mains with modern plastic pipes. As well as improving safety and reliability, the upgrades are designed to prepare the network for greener gases, such as biomethane, in the future.

In the Northwest alone, Cadent is investing £75 million this year to upgrade around 385 kilometres of gas mains.

1957 Manchester Guardian: a copy of the newspaper found inside a gas pipe (on a different project). Credit: Cadent