THE road along Pipers Way will be temporarily closed after 7pm this evening while repairs to the burst water main are carried out.

Wales & West Utilities have arranged for Thames Water to close from Nationwide to the Marriott roundabout - diversions will be put in place while the work is being done.

A spokesperson from Thames Water said: “We’re sorry to those customers whose supply has been affected by a burst to a 12 inch pipe. Our engineers are working hard to fix the issue and we hope to have things back to normal by this evening.”

Businesses and homes in Old Town have been left with no water since 1pm this afternoon. It has been affecting customers in the SN1 area.

Louise Field, owner of Gustoso has had to close her cafe due to the water shortage because she couldn’t wash dishes or make hot drinks. She said: “This is a very unfortunate circumstance that has seen not only my business have to close for the day but also many others in the area.

“I haven’t been able to wash anything or been able to carry out what I normally would on a day to day basis. Also health and safety is of utter importance to us and we wouldn’t want to put anyone at risk.”

“I just hope this can be sorted as soon as possible.”