For a time Thursday afternoon there was something smelly in a west Regina neighbourhood -- natural gas.

A high pressure natural gas line was struck shortly after three p.m. Kelly Avenue, in Dieppe Place. That's just north of Dewdney Avenue and west of Courtney.  A spokesman for Sask Energy says it appears the line serving the neighbourhood was struck by a contractor digging a drainage ditch.  The four inch high pressure line -- with about 250 pounds pressure -- spewed gas quickly which could be smelled for a few blocks around.  For a time, there was the potential of evacuating homes in the 1100 and 1200 blocks of Courtney -- but that was not necessary as crews were able to quickly shut off the line.

It was not expected that any homes would be left without natural gas while repairs were completed.