Adam Goldsmith
Live reporter

Image source, Reuters

"I spent the night in my car", is what one Godstone resident said, after a 65ft (20m) long sinkhole forced him to evacuate his home on Monday evening.

Throughout the day, we heard from other residents of the 30 properties in the Surrey village, many of whom feel they have been left in limbo following the indefinite evacuation. Businesses nearby say the major incident has left them with nearly no customers.

Surrey County Council says the site "continues to be assessed by structural experts" and utilities, including water and electricity, have been restored to the area.

And, as safety inspections are carried out, local MP Claire Coutinho said she is pushing for a clear timeline on the next stage of repairs - for now, it's unclear when those who evacuated will be able to return.

It remains uncertain what exactly caused the substantial rift to appear. We've heard from some experts, who point out that according to a 19th century map, a quarry was directly where the sinkhole formed.

Our science reporter Esme Stallard writes that the geology of the region - and the type of clay beneath the road - might have been a contributing factor to the collapse.

We're now wrapping up our live coverage, but we'll be keeping our news story up to date with the latest details as the search for the cause of the Godstone sinkhole continues.

Esme Stallard
Science reporter

As we've been reporting, the cause of the sinkhole remains unclear.

Experts at the British Geological Survey (BGS) have been studying the potential cause of the sinkhole and have said it is difficult at this stage to confirm the exact reason but have provided some theories.

They have ruled out the most common reason for sinkholes in the region which is the dissolving of chalk underground – which we discussed earlier.

Andrew Farrant, BGS regional geologist in south east England, says that weak sandstone lies beneath the village and this would normally be stable, but if there was a sudden influx of water it could "flush out weak sandstone bedrock".

This would create a void and then the overlying ground would collapse into it.

So where might the water have come from? The geologist suggests it could be due to a burst water main in the local area.

We know locals have been concerned about a local sand quarry and historic mining activities, which had created caves near the village.

The old sand mine has now been filled in so geology experts at BGS think it's unlikely to be the reason, but they say they cannot rule out that there are other sand mines not mapped or that the roof of a historic cave has collapsed somewhere else which cause the initial failure of the water pipe.

Sara Smith
BBC South East Reporter in Godstone

Image source, Adrian Harms/BBC

It has been particularly difficult for the 30 households who have had to be evacuated from Godstone village, as there is no news on when they can return to their properties.

As things stand, there is no indication that any further evacuations will need to take place.

People in the small Surrey village who were able to stay put are remaining resilient, and they are very pleased to have their water back on.

But, what they want is to know what has happened here.

Earlier, one woman told me she thought she saw a hole near a manhole cover that she thought had sunk. Little did she know what would unfold.

Tom Joyner
Live reporter

Professor Peter Styles from Keele University, is an expert on sinkholes and former president of the Geological Society of London. He tells the BBC there are a number of factors that mighthave contributed to the Godstone sinkholes appearing when they did, although investigations are ongoing to identify the cause.

A natural cave: Underground caves can form over time when limestone is dissolved by rain or flowing water, these caves can collapse without warning.

Mining: Former mines that haven't been properly filled in or properly mapped can cause havoc many years later. "We're a country that had hundreds of years of mining," Professor Styles says.

"These days hopefully we keep track of that, but 200 years ago people weren't as scrupulous about keeping records."

Heavy traffic: Old roads, Professor Styles says, aren't always engineered to withstand modern lorries driving back and forth. Poorly packed materials under the road combined with vibrations from passing vehicles and flowing water can become a recipe for disaster, he says.

Just because there is a sinkhole on a main road doesn't mean houses and businesses can't be built there, Professor Skye tells me, but there needs to be a thorough assessment done and suitable supports built first.

"I'm a big believer in spend early and save later," he adds. "This will take a considerable time to remediate."

Stuart Oliver
Reporting from the scene

Image source, PA Media

I've been speaking to local resident Stephanie in Godstone, who preferred not to share her full name.

She recalls being told by police that her family should leave their house late on Monday night. They were told to evacuate by midnight as there was a risk of an explosion and a further collapse.

The sinkhole is 100 metres (328ft) from Stephanie's home in Godstone. She and her husband have two small children, one of whom is disabled and attends a special needs school.

The family were unable to stay with relatives, who are 78km (49 miles) east in Ashford, Kent. Stephanie says they had to find the cheapest hotel they could and are currently staying in Gatwick. Some of their neighbours have been sleeping in cars.

They popped back briefly yesterday to find out if it was safe to return. Stephanie says the council had not been able to offer an update and referred them to a Facebook page.

Stephanie and her husband are taking time off work and concerned about the costs of this ordeal. They feel like they are stuck in limbo, she adds, not knowing when they can return home.

We've just heard an update from Surrey County Council, which has thanked residents for their patience amid the disruption caused by the Godstone sinkhole.

"The site continues to be assessed by structural experts, in order to manage the risk and understand what needs to be done to make safe and repair," Carl Bussey, the council's assistant director for safer communities, says.

"Utility companies have successfully isolated supplies, where required. Properties in the wider area have access to water and power as normal, with impacted homes confined to within the cordon. More permanent repairs will be carried out once the site is deemed safe to work in."

The highway remains closed and residents will continue to be supported by Tandridge District Council, Bussey adds.

Residents don't yet know when they can return to their homes, but Bussey reassures them, saying "a technical group will establish timeframes for recovery" of the highway.

Image source, PA Media

Image source, Adrain Harms/BBC

Rez Mira left his property in the early hours of Tuesday morning after being told he had to evacuate by police.

He tells BBC Radio Surrey he drove to his family in Croydon after leaving his home, a journey just under 15 miles (24 km).

Mira's garden has now collapsed into the sinkhole and he is worried that he and his family will now have to find somewhere else to live.

"School goes back next week so we need to go back," he adds.

We can now bring you some aerial footage, which shows the scale of the sinkhole in Godstone, Surrey.

Investigations are ongoing into its cause, and local businesses say they've had nearly no customers as a result of the disruption.

The original hole has grown to nearly 65ft (20m) long since it first appeared on Monday night - you can see it for yourself below:

Tom Symonds
News correspondent, reporting from the scene

I've been speaking to Peter Burgess from the Wealden Cave and Mine Society who is an expert on what’s underground here in Godstone.

He's found me a map of the area dating back to 1896. Sure enough, right where the sinkhole is, there's a quarry marked "sand pit".

Sand from here was dug out and used for all sorts of building and gardening purposes. Peter thinks it may have played a part in the collapse.

As he put it, "you don’t build a house on sand".

There is some good news for the residents of the new housing development closest to the hole. Tandridge District Council have told me the building has been assessed as safe.

Image source, Reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland

One man who lives on the affected road says he spent Monday night sleeping in his car after the sinkhole first appeared.

"I spent the night in the car, 400 metres down the road into a carpark by the green," Josh Neame says.

Neame, who moved into his property "last Tuesday" and is yet to fully unpack his belongings, was told he could not access his house because of the sinkhole.

He was eventually allowed back into his property, very briefly, on Tuesday afternoon where he packed a bag of toiletries, pants and socks to get him through.

Despite the uncertainty for him and his neighbours, Neame remains optimistic. He believes his house's "piled" structure, meaning it was built on columns made of a strong and deep foundation to support the building, will help.

But Neame recognises that some people might not be as fortunate.

"It is awful for the people who it is literally underneath their kitchen windows," he adds.

Tom Symonds
News correspondent, reporting from the scene

It's unclear just now what exactly caused the sinkhole, but local residents point to two possible factors.

Firstly, the history of mining that took place underneath the village of Godstone, which is well known and marked on historical maps.

The other possible cause being discussed by locals is the heavy traffic through the village.

One person tells me the road has been patched up many times, but in their view big lorries thundering through really don't help.

But the return of the water supply has everybody pleased, at least.

Image source, Getty Images

We've heard from the local MP for Godstone, Claire Coutinho, who has thanked engineers for their work on restoring water supply to the area following the sinkhole.

"It has been wonderful to see the whole community come together to support one another," the Tory MP says in a post on Facebook.

The first round of repairs is complete, Coutinho says, and her team will be in regular contact with Tandridge Council and Surrey County Council to ensure those evacuated "receive the necessary support in the coming days and weeks".

"We are also pushing for SCC [Surrey County Council] to provide a timeline for the next stage of repairs," she adds.

Tom Joyner
Live reporter

Image source, Reuters

We've been speaking to some local businesses in Godstone who have been trying to work around the disruptions.

At Godstone Pharmacy, just down the road from the affected area, staff have been making deliveries on foot to vulnerable customers around the village.

"Some of them were really scared about coming," says pharmacist and owner Efesi Anyamene.

Another staff member, Mrulal Gudadhe, says the business had seen nearly no customers walk through the door since Monday.

"The pharmacy is completely dead. There are no people. Streets are empty and everything is closed. But we are open, we are still working," he says.

James - who preferred not to share his full name - works at a security business nearby and says he wasn't too fussed by the sinkholes, and in fact it made for a welcome change from the constant sound of lorries and traffic.

"It's nice and quiet," he tells the BBC. "Other than the helicopters," he is quick to point out.

Esme Stallard
Science reporter

What Godstone is experiencing is dramatic, and may appear random, but geology can give us some clues as to why this is happening.

The Surrey village is located on the edge of the North Downs where there is an underlaying band of chalk rock. Across the Tandridge district – where Godstone is – the chalk is overlain by younger clay-with-flint deposits and sandstones.

When carbon dioxide from the air dissolves in rainwater it forms a weak carbonic acid, this drips through the rock and down into the chalk - where a chemical reaction happens.

The weak acid begins to dissolve the chalk but below the younger rock. So on the surface, at least for some time, you cannot tell anything unusual is happening.

But then, suddenly, the younger clay on top will collapse into the cavity formed below - this is called a "dropout" sinkhole.

We have seen these before in places like Ripon in Yorkshire, and it may be what is happening here.

Locals have also suggested that caves previously dug for mining below the chalk have played a role - where the dissolved chalk might have collapsed into the caves.

More now from some of the affected residents, most of whom have now evacuated their homes due to the sinkhole on Godstone High Street.

Speaking on Tuesday - when the road was closed off by police - Kevin Boll recalled the water being shut off from his property and realising that something was afoot.

"I came down and there were police here, there were fire engines... Within minutes, they were here and there was a dirty great big hole".

It was "massive", he said, adding that what frightened him was a combination of the size of the sinkhole and the number of emergency personnel deployed.

"No one has seen this coming," he said in shock, adding: "Not this massive sinkhole, when there's brand new flats just adjacent to it as well."

As we've been reporting, two sinkholes have now appeared in Godstone, Surrey - the location that you can see in the map below.

The original hole first appeared in Godstone High Street late on Monday night, growing to at least 65ft (20m) long by Tuesday lunchtime.

The second opening appeared today.

The sinkhole in Godstone was first reported yesterday, when Surrey Police closed the high street.

The situation has worsened since then, with a major incident now in place.

Nicola and Damian Styles, who live on the affected street, tell PA news agency they were woken up by police knocking on their door and telling them to evacuate in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

"We just sort of grabbed everything, the clothes on our back and our work laptops, and drove out quickly.

"We didn't know how long we were going to be out for."

Another resident, Tracey Jones, says the situation has been "an absolute nightmare".

Their road remains closed and it is unclear when residents will be able to return after not one, but two sinkholes started to swallow the high street.

Image source, PA Media

Image source, Reuters

Normally, this road in Surrey would be flowing with traffic from the A25 that runs through the heart of Godstone village.

But our reporter Adrian Harms describes a deserted scene:

According to Surrey County Council, declaring a major incident does not give the authority access to more resources, but does mobilise all available resources across the council and partner agencies.

The operation is now being managed by Surrey Local Resilience Forum, with the county council as the lead agency.

Image source, Eddie Mitchell

The first sinkhole opened right in front of Noosh Miri's home.

She and her family are now in temporary accommodation, after having to evacuate in the space of 10 minutes.

She says she and her neighbours believe the holes were caused by the area's geology.

"Godstone is a really old village, but it's also built on caves," she says.

"It's also a place that gets a massive amount of traffic, with heavy-loaded lorries. You often get the rattles in the house as they're driving through."