Burst water main needs 'complex' repair

Thames Water said it had stopped the flow of water and the area had been made safe

Engineers are carrying out a "large and complex repair" to fix a burst water main that left a north London street under 16in (40 cm) water on Sunday evening.

About 30 residents had to leave their homes after the pipe began "shooting water up into the air" and gushing along Canonbury Street, Islington shortly before 22:00 BST.

One residents described how he and others used towels to try to stop water flooding a neighbour's flat.

Thames Water confirmed that many properties were affected and that some lost their water supply during the night, although that has now been restored.

Canonbury Street resident Ben Esdale told the BBC he realised something was wrong when he saw water "gurgling" up through his bath plughole.

He then looked over the balcony of his first-floor flat to see "a massive pool of water".

"Then I looked out the front and it was like a little geyser in the middle of the road shooting water up into the air.

"It was literally like a river in the street".

Mr Esdale, 29, said that, shortly afterwards, a ground floor resident called on neighbours to come along with towels to help mop up water entering his home.

"It was all hands on deck to help our friend on the ground floor.

"There were about five of us on towel duty because water was coming into his living room.

"We were just piling the towels down and then on rotation we were running into the bathroom, ringing them out, bringing them back, ringing them out. We had mops, every cloth, because it was just coming in."

He also described cars on the road as being "under a foot of water".

The water flow has now stopped, but the affected areas have been covered with a "layer of dirt" and some cars have been flooded, Mr Esdale says.

Barriers to divert water from homes were erected in the early hours of Monday

About 70 firefighters were deployed to the incident, where they used flood barriers and sandbags to divert flood water away from homes, London Fire Brigade (LFB) said.

However, many homes were affected and Thames Water has instructed loss adjusters to set up a local help point.

Canonbury Street is closed while repairs are carried out

The supplier said: "We have managed to safely remove vehicles, that were stuck due to the burst main, and our teams are now preparing the site for what is a very large and complex repair.

"Customers should still have water flowing through the taps.

"We expect the significant repairs to completed by the end of this week and apologise for any disruption caused."

Residents who were asked to leave their homes have been supported by the local authority.

Those who were unable to stay with friends or family were placed in temporary accommodation, Islington Council said.

A spokesperson added: "We are working closely with Thames Water and the London Fire Brigade to resolve the situation, clean up the area and assess the damage.

"Canonbury Street remains closed from Essex Road up to Arran Walk. We ask the public to avoid the area while we carry out essential work."