A burst pipe has shut a major route in and out of Canterbury, causing rush hour chaos.

New Dover Road is closed in both directions and properties in the area are experiencing low water pressure due to the incident.

The closure, which is near the city’s Premier Inn, has been put in place by South East Water and contractors from Clancy are carrying out the repairs.

A South East Water spokesperson said: “We're really sorry to those of you who are experiencing low water pressure at the moment.

“This has been caused by a burst main which we are trying to fix as quickly as we can.

“As soon as the repairs have been completed, your water will return to normal.

“Our repairs teams are on site however, to allow for the safe repair of the burst pipe traffic management is on site, we would like to apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

“We can't say just yet how long this will take but please rest assured we're doing everything we can to get you back up and running as soon as possible.”

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One witness, who was on their way home from work, said: “It is absolute chaos.

“Traffic in both directions is being made to do a u-turn.”

Clancy has been contacted for comment.

South East Water distribution manager, Joe Ford added: “We’re sorry for disruption caused by the burst water main today.

“The pipe will be repaired this evening and we need to carry out resurfacing works and repairs.

“For the safety of the public and our workforce, the road will be closed whilst this work is carried out.”