New leak discovered at Dorking sinkhole

West Street in Dorking is closed for repair work

Damage to a sewer pipe where a sinkhole appeared in a Surrey town centre is worse than the water company originally thought - and a new leak has been discovered.

The sinkhole forced the closure of West Street in Dorking to traffic when it appeared on 30 August.

A Thames Water spokesperson said: “Further investigations reveal that the damage is not limited to a single section of the surface water sewer pipe, and our engineers will need to replace a longer section of the pipe along West Street.”

The engineers said they also found a leak on a water pipe belonging to SES Water.

Repair work at West Street

A SES Water spokesperson said: “We’re aware of a very minor leak on one of our water pipes in West Street, Dorking."

The company said in order for it to fix the leak as quickly as possible, and to minimise disruption for customers, it turned the water off for a "few hours" on Wednesday evening.

Pipes are delivered to the street

Surrey County Council, which is responsible for the county's roads, previously said the failure of a surface water line, which caused the problem, stretched for about 50m (160ft).

Dorking Business Improvement District put up posters urging shoppers to visit

Businesses said passing trade was down due to the road closure and urged customers to enjoy the car-free atmosphere in the street, which is famed for its antique shops.

Paul Harman, who runs Harman’s interior design shop, said reaction to the street closure had been "mixed".

He said: "We have found that people are enjoying coming through West Street. It’s quite pleasurable for a lot of our customers being able to walk down and have a look in the shop and take their time.”

However, he said he had noticed a drop in footfall.

“The street is open for business and our message is come down and see us," he added.

Dorking Town Partnership Business Improvement District (BID) said it had put up posters reminding shoppers the town is open for business.

A BID spokesperson said it was "committed" to keeping the community informed "regarding the ongoing situation on West Street".

"We understand the challenges posed by the necessary emergency road repairs and appreciate the community's patience and support during this time," the spokesperson added.