Burst main floods homes and road

Homes have been flooded by a burst water main in Surrey, fire crews said.

Police, fire crews and water firm engineers were called to the scene in Blindley Heath early on Thursday.

Sutton and East Surrey Water said supplies to the Lingfield area would be restored later, but it was expected that repairs would take all day.

The flooded A22 Eastbourne Road was expected to remain closed both ways for the rest of the day because of the size of the main, BBC travel reports said.

A spokeswoman for Surrey Fire and Rescue Service said crews assisted the occupants of 25 properties that were affected by flooding.

But the water company issued different figures and said four properties and a further eight gardens were flooded.

It also said that about 500 homes lost their water supply when the 24in (60cm) trunk main burst.

Supply loss

The company said the burst happened at about 0200 BST outside St John's Church.

It said the firm's emergency engineers isolated the strategic trunk main and reduced the properties without water to 50.

Residents were expected to get their supply back "within hours", a statement said at 1100 BST.

Information issued to customers said the burst main "may cause poor pressure, a total loss of supply, or discolouration of the water supply".

Customers were warned that if their supply was discoloured, they should avoid using it.