UP TO 1,000 homes in a Kent village have been left without gas following a burst water pipe.

Problems with the gas supply were discovered by residents in Hoo, near Rochester, at about 7am this morning.

A water pipe had burst during the night and a substantial amount of water has leaked into the gas supply.

Before engineers can fix the problem they will have to visit each home individually to ensure the gas supply is switched off. Only then can they begin to pump out the water which has leaked into the gas system.

A spokesman for the Southern Gas Network said: “We will then be able to reintroduce gas into the network and we will re-visit each home to turn the gas back on.

“We need to gain access to each home and we are unsure how long this will take. We will be working into this afternoon and tonight.”

An incident trailer has been set up opposite the Five Bells pub in Stoke Road with a supply of cooking and heating equipment available. Staff from Southern Gas will also be on site for at least the next 24 hours to offer advice and support.

Last Wednesday, 1,500 Hoo residents were without water for five hours after another water main burst.

Full story in Friday's Medway Messenger