Ovingdean mains burst: Burst pipe fixed after school and homes flooded

Part of Ovingdean Road was badly damaged

A burst water pipe that caused flooding at a school and homes has been fixed.

The surface of Ovingdean Road in Brighton was severely damaged during the burst which happened in the early hours of Monday.

Longhill High School closed for the day after floodwater made its grounds "unsafe" for pupils to attend.

Southern Water said it was sorry the repair work was "taking longer than hoped" but it was "extremely complex".

Homes and a school close to the burst water main were flooded

Hundreds of people were left without water more than 30 hours after the mains pipe burst.

On Monday, many residents took to Twitter, concerned their water was running "brown".

Paul AJ Teverson tweeted: "@SouthernWater currently supplying thousands of homes in Brighton with brown water and are providing no information about it's safety. Thanks!"

Jonny Anstead posted a video of brown-coloured water running from his tap, while Becci D'Cunha tweeted that her son was sick and she was worried this was why.

Southern Water responded by telling them "discolouration" was "normal" after a supply interruption.

It reassured them it was not harmful and should clear within 48 hours.

Southern Water said a large power cable was close to the burst pipe

A spokesman said: "We're pleased to say the repairs to the burst pipe in Brighton have now been completed and we will shortly begin to recharge the network. We have to do this very carefully in order to avoid further bursts, so it will take a little while for the water to return to taps.

"We'd like to thank customers who've been affected by the burst. It was a complex fix working with UK Power Networks around an 11,000 volt cable. Thank you again to everyone affected for their continued understanding and patience."

Sothern Water has been handing out water in the car park of Asda at Brighton Marina

A bottled water station has been set up in the Asda car park at Brighton Marina, where some people are still without a supply.

Southern Water said it would continue to deliver directly to vulnerable customers and asked others who need additional support to call.