A preacautionary water ban at Mote Park has been extended after a sewage leak last week.

Watersports were put on hold over the Bank Holiday weekend as testing is carried out at the park, after heavy rainfall sparked a serious leak last Monday.

The ban has been extended pending further tests, with the council hoping it could be lifted by the weekend.

Tests taken so far have come back clear of contamination.

Council leader Fran Wilson said: "We know many people were disappointed that the water sports were cancelled, however, we felt it was better to be safe than sorry.

“We are waiting for the final results but are hopeful that we will be able to reinstate water activities later this week.”

Southern Water continues to work on the leak, describing it as "complex".

A spokesperson from Southern Water said: "As this is a complex repair, we don’t yet have a timeframe for completion but we would like to reassure our customers we are working as quickly as possible to carry out this work.

“Pumps have been installed to manage flows to ensure customers can continue to use their facilities as normal.

“We have carried out a clean-up of the affected areas, and any parts of the park that needed to be shut have now reopened. Our barriers will remain in place around the pumps and pipes while we continue our emergency work.”