Storm Ciara: Engineers complete Cumbria water pipe repairs

Millions of tonnes of water will now be reintroduced to the system

Engineers working to restore the water supply to thousands of homes and businesses in Cumbria after Storm Ciara have finished repairing a mains pipe.

A major incident was declared after the damaged pipe near Kendal threatened supplies to about 8,000 properties.

Appleby, Shap, Orton, Low Braithwaite, Threlkeld and Glenridding are among the areas to have been affected.

United Utilities said it was slowly putting water back into supply across the network.

But the firm said it would take "some time" to put 90 million litres of water into the system as this needed to be done "gradually" to avoid the risk of the pipe bursting.

Free bottled water will continue to be made available for anyone affected "for the next few days until we are confident everything is back to normal".

United Utilities said free bottled water will continue to be available

Earlier, United Utilities warned repair efforts were being hampered by severe weather conditions and said it could be Thursday or Friday before work on the main was completed.

Dr Martin Padley said that even after the pipe was fixed "it will take time to refill what is a huge system".

Schools, GP practices and businesses have been forced to close due to problems with their water supply.

Extra equipment and tankers from the Midlands and Scotland has been brought in.

Free bottled water is available for those affected at:

• Glenridding Village Hall, Penrith

• The Crown Inn, Ivegill

• Shap Memorial Hall, Shap

• Market Square, Kirkby Stephen

• Moot Hall, Boroughgate, Appleby-in-Westmorland

• Pooley Bridge Village Hall, Pooley Bridge

• Greystoke Village Greystoke

• Tebay Services (Northbound)

United Utilities has issued a telephone number for those who are elderly, vulnerable or sick who are unable to get their own bottled water - it is 0345 672 3723.