A 'SINKHOLE' has opened up beneath an Old Town street.

The hole appeared beside Longs Bar on Union Row, between Victoria Road and Cricklade Street, on Sunday evening. It is around 1.5 metres deep.

The road will be closed from 6pm tonight and all day Tuesday. It is hoped that the road will reopen by Wednesday morning.

Thames Water officers have closed off part of the one-way street and are preparing to replace a damaged water pipe and fill in the hole.

The work is expected to be finished by the end of the week.

It is not known exactly what caused the sinkhole, but sandy soils are believed to have contributed to making the hole larger. The pipe is thought to be part of the sewage system.

A spokesman for Thames Water said: “Our team in Union Row has made the area safe and are planning the emergency repair, which should start today and go on into the night to get everything back to normal as quickly as possible.”

Drinking water supply would not be affected, a Thames Water source said.