Homes flooded
RESIDENTS on a South Tyneside street faced chaos after a burst pipe flooded their homes.
Residents in Brighton Parade, Hebburn, grabbed brushes and sandbags in a bid to stop water from entering their houses.
A large section was cordoned off as water gushed through the street.
Northumbrian Water said the size of the broken pipe had caused flooding and they are working to repair the damage.
Jan Holmes, 40, was forced to get sandbags to protect her house as water gushed from the main.
She said: “The whole street tried to sweep it away. It has flooded the estate.
“There were nine of us out and we lifted a drain lid and swept it into that.”
Jan, who has lived in the street for seven years, said that her house was damaged by the water and said they waited hours for someone to come and help them.
“Northumbrian Water came out with a pump but by the time they got there, we had done most of it,” she said. “It is frustrating that it took someone that long to come out.”
Flooding on the street is a regular issue when it rains, Jan said.
“Basically every time there is heavy rain the drains flood,” she said. “We have had people out to look at it but it is still going on. It is frustrating because I have made a nice home and it gets damaged.”
A spokesman for Northumbrian Water said: “We were made aware of a water pipe that had been damaged by a third party on Sunday morning in Hebburn.
“Our crews attended immediately to contain the burst and move water around the network, so that we could restore the water supply to those properties affected.
“Because of the size of the pipe there was some localised flooding to the area which we have now cleaned up and are continuing to work hard to complete the repair of the pipe.
“Water has now been restored to most properties and we would like to apologise for any inconvenience and thank those customers who were affected for their patience.”