On 24/11/2014 16:28, Tricky Dicky wrote:
We had a problem where we thought there was a gas leak at the last
house, turned out to be stink horn mushrooms/toadstools amongst the
trees and bushes next door. I suspect it might be a bit late in the
year for them to be a problem now.

Richard

I have seen stinkhorns in more months of the year than I have not seen
them! Very variable.

I'd never mix up a stinkhorn with mains gas, but there is a certain
similarity. When we had a bad gas leak, the smell of the free gas was
distinctly different to that coming from the contaminated soil.

Not familiar with any gases from mines, etc., but I don't think they
have mercaptan added so possibly don't have much smell.

There is one mushroom that smells very much like the old town gas plants
- Gas Works Mushroom:

http://www.first-nature.com/fungi/tr...sulphureum.php

--
Rod