Burst water pipe causes 'geyser'

Natural ground movements are believed to have caused the leak

Work is under way to repair a burst water pipe which brought a town centre to a standstill.

The geyser-like jet of water broke through the concrete on Hart Street, Henley on Thames, on Tuesday afternoon.

A spokesman for Thames Water said the leak had caused damage to a nearby restaurant, and that other properties may also have been affected.

He said traffic restrictions put in place during the repair work were expected to cause disruption.

Ground movements

Water supplies to some businesses in the busy high street were also affected by the leak.

Lucy Pestana, supervisor at Cafe Rouge, said although there had been no damage to the property, the restaurant could only offer guests a restricted menu until its water supply had been switched back on.

Andrew Boyd, spokesman for Thames Water, said the water company was in the process of assessing the damage caused.

"The leak was probably caused by movements in the ground, which tend to occur naturally.

"We want to apologise for any problems this has caused to residents and businesses in the area", he said.