Residents are concerned their street could collapse because a water leak still hasn't been fixed after five weeks.

They say they have reported the ongoing problem to Southern Water on multiple occasions but the company has not taken action, leaving water running into a drain.

Southern Water says it has identified a leak on a pipe joining the main to properties and is now working with Kent Highways to schedule a repair as soon as the firm is allowed.

But some want faster action. Clive Noble, who lives in Windmill Street, Gravesend, said he first noticed water coming out of a large crack in the middle of the road around the end of September which he reported to Southern Water.

He says the company did come out and inspect the problem but nothing has been done since.

After five weeks, the leak is no longer coming out of the crack but is now pouring out of the side of the road near the kerb. The 61-year-old reported it again on November 8 after seeing sand also emerging.

He added: "It has been pouring out for five weeks. It is like someone has been running a bath for all that time.

'It could become a sink hole. It could just collapse...'

"What we are worrying about is it could become a sink hole. It could just collapse."

Clive suggested recent closures on Wrotham Road - which runs parallel to Windmill Street - led to lorries driving up and down the residential strip damaging the surface further. Wrotham Road was closed for around six weeks and recently re-opened although part of it shut this week for a further five days for gas work.

Another resident - who asked not to be named - said they assumed the leak had something to do with renovations on a nearby house.

She said: "I am concerned it is water wastage. They should be doing something."

The water is constantly pouring into a drain and can be heard loudly when walking past.

It has also been noticed by passing drivers. Hugh Johnson, of Ridgeway Avenue, Gravesend, said he sees the leak every day as he drives his son to work in the town centre and has also reported it twice to Southern Water.

The retired 67-year-old said: "You cannot miss it. It has been running down the gutter. It is sheer wastage.

"Why do they not fix the leaks? They do nothing about the leaks when they go on for weeks."

Hugh also raised concerns of increasing water prices due to the amount of water that is being lost.

Southern Water said in a statement: “We are always grateful to customers for acting as our eyes on the ground and we’re sorry for any convenience our customer has suffered.

"We identified a leak on a pipe joining our main to properties and are working with the Highways Department to schedule a repair as soon as permitted.

"Our leak-busting team is currently installing 7,000 acoustic loggers which can hear a leak before it becomes a burst and enables us to target leaks on major water mains.”

This comes after a man felt let down by Southern Water when a leak had been left unfixed for five weeks outside a house in Deal which engineers did come out and resolve in late October.

These are not the only issues faced by the utility provider with Thanet council urging beach-goers not to enter the sea after an "unscreened wastewater release" caused by a number of leaks at the start of October.

The firm was also given a £90 million fine in July after unleashing up to 21 billion litres of sewage into protected water between 2010 and 2015.

Read more: All the latest news from Gravesend