Swindon homes flooded after water main bursts

Firefighters are on the scene trying to pump water out of "multiple houses" on Great Western Way

A burst water main has flooded several houses, forcing some residents out of their homes for four weeks.

Water was filmed gushing from under the pavement on Great Western Way in Swindon earlier.

Firefighters pumped floodwater out of houses in Meadow Road, while nearby shops and roads were also affected. One resident described it as "a complete nightmare".

Thames Water said engineers were "working hard" to fix the pipe.

David Cousens, who lives on Meadow Road with his wife and three daughters, including a three-month-old baby, said about "an inch of water" had "seeped through across the entire ground floor of the house".

"It literally came in through the front, back, the kitchen, the hallway, the living room. It was really fast. It's a complete nightmare. It has caused loads and loads of destruction," said the 40-year-old.

He added he had been told by Thames Water that his family needed to "get their stuff" and prepare to be out of the house for about four weeks.

Residents described how water seemed to suddenly surge and then seep into their homes

Lyn Curtis, 56, who also lives on the road, said homes in the area had been flooded about 12 years ago and "it's like a nightmare happening again".

She added: "It was like a river flowing. You could see it coming into our estate and the drains were bubbling, the toilets were bubbling, and you know what sort of rubbish is going to come up from there.

"It was like a stream gradually coming further and further up the estate. It was right up to the top of your wellies, that's how high it was."

Thames Water said engineers were "preparing to get started on the repair"

A Thames Water spokeswoman said: "We're really sorry for what's happened and our priority is supporting those people whose homes have been flooded.

"Our insurance team has been speaking to customers to assess the damage and each individual resident's needs and we'll do everything we can to get their lives back to normal as soon as we can."

She added that "engineers have confirmed all customers are in supply after rerouting water through our pipe network".

Great Western Way, between the Bridgemead and Barnfield roundabouts, has been closed by police, who described the flood as "significant".