Angry residents have accused a water company of "double standards" for allowing a leak to flood a nearby field for seven months.

Shane Catterick of Thornden Close, Herne Bay, is among those who say South East Water should be held accountable for failing to tackle the long-running issue.

The motorhome salesman says he and several neighbours are growing increasingly frustrated, as they fear the leak could cause sinkholes to open up.

He also says the inaction flies in the face of repeated warnings about saving water following the unusually dry summer.

He told KentOnline: “At a time when we’re all being told not to use hoses and that we mustn’t waste water, it rankles.

“The leak has been a problem for seven months, and yet still nothing is happening. It feels criminal.

“The leak's got a mind of its own, and their inaction risks changing the landscape quite literally.”

The leak reportedly started flowing seven months ago, and has caused a field opposite to become saturated.

Mr Catterick says water company officials have been called out twice before - with the last visit just two weeks ago.

Neighbour John Wade weighed in on the matter, having also grown irritated by the lack of action.

“How many millions of gallons of water have been wasted unnecessarily?” said the retiree.

Water leaks are not uncommon but significant damage as a result of ruptured pipes is on the rise nationwide.

In August, a sinkhole appeared in Dartford after a Thames Water mains burst, leaving thousands without water.

That same month, a sinkhole appeared outside Watford General Hospital. A water leak caused by “ageing infrastructure” was said to be the cause.

Mr Catterick and Mr Wade fear the area around the leak could suffer the same outcome.

“If you look at the field, you can see 20 foot [of saturated land] out there,” said Mr Wade.

“If it’s doing that on that side of the field, what’s it doing under the structure of the road?

“You’ve only got to get a dustcart with a heavy load; it’s going to cause all sorts of problems."

Mr Catterick added: “Ultimately, it’s flooding the field - it potentially is going to cause subsidence."

When asked about the complaints, South East Water's head of leakage operations, Jim MacIntyre, said: “We’re sorry to customers affected by the leak in the field opposite Thornden Close, Herne Bay.

“We know how frustrating leaks can be, especially when we’re asking customers to be mindful of their water use.

“This leak has been referred to our expert repair team who are currently scheduling the work, which due to its location requires specialist equipment.

“Fixing these pipes as quickly as possible is a key priority and we are working hard to recruit additional teams to increase the number of repair crews available.

Mr MacIntyre was also quick to reassure customers the company is continuing to invest money to improve its infrastructure, but warned that the business faces multiple challenges.

“We continue to invest in upgrading our infrastructure and are mid-way through our £433 million five-year investment programme, which includes the replacement of old, unreliable water mains,” he said.

“Since the summer, we’ve seen a dramatic 50% rise in the number of leaks along our 9,000-mile long network of underground pipes.

“This is due to a number of factors, including a lack of rainfall and drying of the soil during the summer.

"With many other water companies facing similar issues and also working hard to recruit additional teams, we have been unable to expand the team as much as we hoped.”