A sinkhole has appeared near a main road.

Part of the carriageway and pavement has collapsed near where Gatland Lane meets Farleigh Lane in Maidstone.

A large fence and barriers have been put up around the hole.

A police spokesman confirmed they had been made aware but it was being dealt with by South East Water.

There are unconfirmed reports that the issue is affecting water supply for people in the local area and some residents received bottle water as a replacement during this morning’s service interruption.

Kent County Council has been contacted for comment.

This isn’t the first sinkhole to appear in the area. Two years ago, another sinkhole opened up in a main road in Barming.

The stretch between Queen's Road and Cherry Orchard Way was closed after carriageway collapsed along the A26 Tonbridge Road.

The hole measured about 5m by 6m across and was very deep according to witnesses.

South East Water Regional Network Manager Andy Beston said: “We were alerted to a burst on our network in the early hours of this morning (Monday).

“We located the burst on a four-inch diameter main this morning and repairs began at 12.30pm. For the safety of the public and our workforce Gatland Lane is currently closed.

“We received around 50 calls from customers experiencing low pressure or no water this morning and we are very sorry for this.

“Supplies returned to normal for most customers early this afternoon and we are now working to complete repairs to the road surface, the road will remain closed while this takes place.

“We are sorry for any inconvenience caused by this, but please be assured that we will work as quickly and safely as possible to complete the repair.”