Sinkhole could take two weeks to repair

The sinkhole opened up on Elm Drive in St Albans

A sinkhole which opened up in a St Albans road could take two weeks to repair.

The one-metre square hole appeared on Elm Drive near Oaklands College on Wednesday.

Hertfordshire County Council said it had "not been able to definitely establish" the cause but Thames Water had taken over the site.

The authority said the water company is repairing a broken surface water drain at the bottom of the hole.

The road has been closed by the county council and police

"It could take two weeks to complete the repairs," a council spokesman said.

"The road remains closed, but no residents have had to be evacuated."

It added it was working with St Albans District Council and Hertfordshire police to keep the public safe while repairs took place and asked the public and drivers to avoid the area where possible.

Some residents were evacuated from their homes in Martlesham, Welwyn Garden City on Tuesday, when a hole appeared

About eight miles away in Welwyn Garden City, some residents were evacuated from their homes in Martlesham on Tuesday, when a hole appeared.

The area was cordoned off.

The county council said the hole was on private land, so it did not have much involvement, but both its highways team and the fire and rescue service attended the scene to assess the situation and put safety barriers in place.

It said it believed six homes had been evacuated while the landlord arranged a repair.

The Martlesham hole is on private land