Schools and businesses shut after burst water pipe

Schools and businesses were forced to close after a damaged water main caused large amounts of water to gush out onto a main road and limited local supplies.

Thames Water said it had brought the flow from the burst pipe, on North Bar, in Banbury, "under control" throughout Wednesday.

The burst pipe left some properties in OX16 and OX17 postcodes with low pressure or no water at all but its teams "attended the site swiftly" and shut off the main, the company said.

Some schools in the nearby area were forced to close during the day due to the lack of water, including Blessed George Napier School (BGN).

A Thames Water spokesperson said they were sorry for the disruption but customers should see their supply returning.

"We will work through the rest of the day and into the night to complete the repair," they added.

"Customer representatives have been on site to assist any properties affected by flooding due to the burst and we apologise to the affected customers."

The leak is on North Bar, a major route to Banbury's town centre

Local schools and businesses were affected by the leak, including the recently re-opened Three Pigeons pub, which posted footage of flooding inside alongside the caption: "We're wearing our wellies for the foreseeable future."

The pub said it would be closed on Wednesday but would do "everything... to get this cleaned up and get back to normal and open [on Thursday]."

BGN confirmed its closure on its website, while Hanwell Fields Primary School and Harriers Banbury Academy also shut, with both saying they were without running water or toilet facilities.

Footage of the leak shared on social media shows large volumes of water pouring out onto the road, which is a major route towards the town centre.

The video also shows debris being strewn across the road by the water, while a nearby cobbled path appears to have been lifted up by the power of the flow.