Mike Penning welcomed the ruling on Buncefield liability and called on Total to pay all outstanding compensation to local residents and businesses as soon as possible.

Commenting on today's High Court ruling that the oil company Total is solely liable for damage caused by the Buncefield explosion and fire, Mike Penning MP for Hemel Hempstead said: "I am pleased that, at last, we have a ruling. I now call on Total to accept this ruling, face up to their responsibilities and apologise to the people of Hemel Hempstead for the damage and destruction that occurred. They must surely recognise that any attempt at appealing this decision would be futile and only anger local residents even more.

“They should now do what they should have done in the first place and that is to recompense my constituents who have had their lives turned upside down. They should pay up all outstanding compensation to local residents and businesses as soon as possible and help people get their lives back.

“The oil companies have done themselves no favours in the way they have behaved towards the people of Hemel Hempstead. Even today there are still some residents not yet back in their homes. “I very much hope that this is the end of the matter of liability.”