Tankers have been brought in to keep taps flowing after a cliff collapse.

Emergency services were called on Monday night after a section of cliff beside the A226 Galley Hill Road in Swanscombe slid onto the business park below causing damage to a water main running underneath the road.

Thames Water engineers had to shut off the water supply from the affected mains pipe and tankers are now being used to supply clean water to hundreds of homes.

A spokesman for the company said: "A geotechnical survey is under way to determine the cause of the collapse, but initial investigations indicate that the ground under the road could be at risk of further movement.

"We’re maintaining supplies to local properties by using tankers, so there should be no impact on customers’ water, but we apologise for any disruption or noise our tankers cause.

"We’ve begun work to install temporary pipework to reconnect properties to our supply network. Tankers will remain on site until this work is completed.

"We are also exploring options to move water around our network to help keep customers in supply."

Engineers were on site yesterday investigating the cause of the landslide, and teams will repair the pipe when it is deemed safe to do so.

The road remains closed by police with a diversion route in place.

Kent County Councillor for Swanscombe and Greenhithe Peter Harman said: "It will take a long time to resolve, the timeframe is weeks or months.

"Some areas lost their water supply, and some have also lost broadband supply.

""It will be a lot of work to reinforce the cliff, as the quarry is about 100ft deep."

The councillor added the top of the hill has water supplied by Thames Water, while the bottom of the hill is supplied by Southern Water, so the two companies are now working together to join the pipes up for a temporary supply.

Meanwhile demolition firm Lancebox has been left to pick up the pieces after tons of rubble from the subsided cliff slid onto the company's property on Manor Way.

It wiped out most of the workshop, caving in the roof, burying a van and damaged machinery and materials.

Ronnie Pearce, who works at the family firm, said: "The first thing I wanted to do was get the gates open and get all the lorries we had out here inside, but once I opened the shutter I realised I can't salvage anything in there.

"The water was still coming down from the cliff, even when we got here there were bits still falling down."