Nottingham street severely damaged by burst water pipe

Residents in several areas of the city have been left without water

A burst water pipe flooded a street in Nottingham, leaving thousands of homes without water.

Residents described a loud "boom" as the pipe in Beck Street in Carlton burst at about 10:00 BST, with water then "gushing down the street".

They said water was sprayed into the air and the road collapsed in minutes.

Severn Trent said the pipe, which has a diameter of 27in (69cm), is one of their largest, and about 8,000 properties had been affected.

The water company handed out bottled water to its "most vulnerable customers", and said the street would stay shut until the pipe and surface could be repaired.

One resident, Michael Hitchcock, said he was in bed when he heard a "massive bang".

"I jumped and looked out the window and there was about a 20ft plume of water spewing into the air.

"Then the road just collapsed into a big hole."

He said water had flooded his cellar and garden and had reached the wheel arch of his car.

Some residents said their garages and cellars had been submerged in up to 3ft of water

Barry Smith, 73, said when he returned from the shops "everything was normal".

"Then I went into the lounge and I could see the water flowing all the way down the road and through the garden - then it came into my flat."