Hildenborough: Homes flooded after water main burst

Some properties in a Kent village have been flooded and had their taps run dry due to a burst water main.

Two homes have been water damaged in London Road, Hildenborough, while others have been left without supplies.

Resident Mark Lusher said it was the third time his home has been flooded. South East Water apologised to affected customers.

The burst main also caused significant damage to the road surface, leading to its closure for repairs, the firm said.

Mr Lusher said he was woken by police at 05:30 BST on Wednesday.

He said: "When we came out we noticed about 18 inches of water up against our property and three inches of water in our kitchen.

"We had our kitchen entirely replaced by South East Water three years ago after the last flood."

Andy Beston, regional network manager at South East Water, said: "Incidents like these are extremely rare.

"But as a consequence of very dry ground conditions and the resulting earth movement, we have seen a 50% increase in bursts along our 9,000 miles of main."

Repairs to the damaged pipe were ongoing and a small number of properties were without water, the company said.

Customers affected by the burst main have been provided with bottled water while the company restores their supplies.

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