A secondary school has been forced to shut for a second day due to a water leak.

It happened overnight on Sunday near Mascalls Academy in Maidstone Road, Paddock Wood, which closed on Monday.

On Monday, the school sent a letter to parents, with principal Jo Brooks saying: “Southern Water is currently working to repair the leak, but this process will require shutting off the water supply to the school.

“Unfortunately, without a reliable water supply, we cannot safely and effectively operate the school.

“We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate that some students may already have left for school this morning.

“If this is the case please can you inform us if you require support in arranging transport home.”

An update this morning from South East Water said: “I am writing to provide a new update on the Mascalls Academy water main burst that was identified yesterday.

“Unfortunately, due to the nature of the damage to the pipe, we were unable to finalise the repair and start feeding the water back into the system as planned last night.

“As a result of this, Mascalls Academy has taken the decision not to open for another day.”

The water company said every avenue was to avoid closing again, adding: “We are sorry to all families who will be impacted by this, as we understand how frustrating and disruptive this is.

“This repair will be completed today and water will be slowly fed back into the system in order to return the area to its normal water supply.”

Lessons will be posted on Google Classroom.