Burst water pipes cause havoc in Newbury

Thames Water is currently at the scene (Thursday) trying to fix the burst pipes

FREEZING temperatures have caused water pipes to burst in Newbury.

Thames Water has confirmed that pipes have burst in both Middle Close and Montgomery Road, with temperatures dipping to -3 Celsius.

Spokeswoman for Thames Water, Natalie Slater said: "We've had a burst pipe in Middle Close which we are fixing at the moment, following another recent burst in Montgomery Road nearby. We're really sorry for the inconvenience caused by these.

"We have experienced an increase in burst water pipes over the past few days as a result of the cold weather. When temperatures drop, our pipes - especially the old cast-iron ones - contract and in some cases they break along hairline weaknesses.

"We are doing everything we can to fix these pipes as soon as we can. This is more important than ever right now, after receiving below-average rainfall for 17 out of the last 22 months.”

Thames Water customers can report a leak by calling the firm's free leakline on 0800 714614 or by tweeting on Twitter @thameswater.

Yesterday, the water company had 74 call outs to burst water pipes, which is double the daily average for January.

By midday today, Thames Water had already been called out to 40 burst water pipes.