Burst pipe leaves villages without water for days

Shipton Bellinger is one of the villages that has been without water since Monday

Multiple villages have been left without water for five days after a burst pipe cut off supply.

Residents in Wiltshire and across the county border in Hampshire have not been able to flush toilets or shower since Monday.

A pub and a primary school have had to close due to shortages.

Water supplier Cholderton Water said on its website at 12:00 BST on Friday that installing a now pump at Thruxton Pump Station is "going according to plan".

It said: "Tankers continue to run in relay, topping up the water level in the reservoir. We are starting to fill quicker than the demand so we are making good progress here too.

"I'm hoping the next update will be to tell everyone that the pump is fully installed and at test stage before being put into full operation."

The shortages has hit up to 60 postcodes in Shipton Bellinger, Thruxton, Amport and Quarley in Hampshire and also Cholderton in Wiltshire.

Some residents have told the BBC they are frustrated at the lack of progress.

One woman, who wanted to remain anonymous, said: "Four whole days without water is pretty bad. It is like living in the 1900s.

"I have to wash uniform and shower in-between shifts, so I have been going to the laundrette and leisure centre to shower."

Bottles of water have been provided by the water company

Sally Turland, who lives in Shipton Belinger, said she has sympathy for the water providers.

"I think they have done a lot for us," she said.

"It's hard to communicate with everybody at the same time, saying that water is coming. They've still got to arrange to get hundreds of water bottles out to people.

"We do have river water we can use to flush with.

"I think they've done their best, it's a situation no one can plan for."