Repairs to a sinkhole were delayed for a week, while contractors were diverted to deal with emergency work caused by the recent bad weather.

However, exploratory excavation on the sinkhole in Gladstone Road, Maidstone, is now complete with the good news that the cavity – which measured 6m long, 2m wide and 3m deep – was not due to any fault in local water or sewage mains.

It is thought to have been the result of pockets of space created by previous water ingress which has subsequently been enlarged by the current flow of natural underground water.

Contractors are now working to fill the void and repair the road surface.

The road, which has been closed to traffic since mid-October, is expected to re-open this week.