'Gridlock' as people try to get water in Birmingham

Severn Trent Water set up a number of bottled water stations in Birmingham

An area of Birmingham was "gridlocked" as people queued for bottles of water.

Supplies in the city had been affected by burst pipes due to the recent severe weather, with Severn Trent handing out free bottled water at Sainsbury's, in Northfield, on Monday.

But residents reported long delays and queues around the town as people tried to get there.

Severn Trent said there were delays but the hand-out was "good natured" and water was back on Tuesday morning.

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Michelle Hickinbottom, from West Heath, said her house had had intermittent water from Sunday evening, with no water to upstairs taps or toilets.

She tried to stop at Sainsbury's to get some water on the way to the gym, but said the traffic was "crazy", so she went to buy water in Rubery instead.

"It was manic, I think everyone in south Birmingham had gone there to get water.

"We thought we'd better get water before the whole of Birmingham ran out.

'Good natured'

"And actually, when we got to Rubery, there was a pallet full of water and by the time we had gone round there was only three cases left."

She said a friend had also waited an hour-and-a-half in traffic to try to get to the supermarket on Monday afternoon.

Severn Trent said water had been returned to Birmingham, but it expected poor pressure or intermittent supplies in south Birmingham again on Tuesday.

It will still have bottled water stations at Sainsbury's, in Frankley Beeches Road, and also at Tesco, in Stratford Road, Solihull.

Ria Gaffney, from Severn Trent, said: "There were some queues last night when people came out to pick up supplies after work but it was all very good natured."