Burst pipe collapses road and disrupts supplies

Residents have been left with little or no water after a pipe burst and part of a road collapsed.

Twenty properties on Kidmore Road in Caversham Heights, Berkshire, have been affected.

Local resident Louise Lee said a water leak under the road had been reported previously, adding: "Don't let anybody tell you that this has come as a shock, it hasn't."

Thames Water apologised to those affected, but said due to "complexities surrounding the pipe and its location" it was taking extra precautions before carrying out repairs.

The water company said it had "dug down to expose the broken pipe", which was caused by natural ground movement.

Emergency Services and specialist teams are working on the site and it is expected to take up to a couple of days for the issue to be resolved.

Ms Lee said the "issue has been building up for a while".

She said she noticed it when "it was really frosty, the ice was building up and I knew that it had been reported that there was a water leak".

"But it really came apparent in December when it got really cold and we noticed that the ice was forming on the road," she said.

"Don't let anybody tell you that this has come as a shock, it hasn't."

Terry Polden who lives just metres away from the incident said Thames Water has done a "decent job in tough circumstances".

He explained they have had no water since 08:00 GMT on Sunday.

He said: "We've coped, they supplied water bottles - that did take a long time to get here but they are doing the best they can.

"I think Thames Water do a great job, for what you pay them every month, you get clean water through the tap 24 hours a day and you can flush the toilet 24 hours a day normally - brilliant.

"I'd pay more, I think it's a very underestimated service that we get."

A Thames Water spokesperson said: "Our contractors arrived on site on Sunday 12 January, however due to complexities surrounding the pipe and its location we are taking extra precautions to ensure the site is safe, so we can proceed with the repairs.

"We would like to assure our customers we are working to complete the work as quickly and safely as possible."

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