St Albans: Lancaster Road closed after sinkhole opens up

Hertfordshire County Council said its highways team responded to a report of a "sinkhole" in Lancaster Road, St Albans on Wednesday

A road has been closed after a large hole opened up in a road in St Albans.

Hertfordshire County Council said its highways team responded to a report of a sinkhole in Lancaster Road on Wednesday morning.

Thames Water said a sewer pipe had collapsed but it was not clear whether water leaking from a damaged pipe weakened the road or if the road giving way broke the pipe.

It added it was working "flat out" to assess the damage and plan the repair.

The company, which manages waste water in the area, said it was setting up a temporary overground pipe to carry the waste water so customers would still be able to flush their toilets and use their sinks and bathrooms as normal.

"We're sorry for any inconvenience our ongoing repairs may cause to residents and road users and will finish the job as quickly as we can," a statement said.

The county council said the road had been closed and the site fenced off to protect the public.