Work has started to repair a key road through Malling after a giant hole opened up in January.

The A227 Ightham Road was closed between Bewley Lane and High Cross Road near Borough Green after the collapse which was caused by a burst water main.

A number of investigations have been carried out into the cause of the crater and South East Water have now announced repairs are underway and are likely to be complete by the end of April.

The initial incident was made worse when a tree fell into the gaping hole.

David Winterburn, regional network manager at the utility provider, said: “We appreciate that the road has been closed for some time now but with the safety of the road users in mind we need to make sure the repair leaves the route safe for vehicles.

“This has meant that along with Kent County Council, we have been carrying out extensive testing of the ground to work out the best material and method to use for refilling the hole.

“To strengthen the road the hole is now being refilled layer by layer. This is a time consuming process as each layer needs to dry before we can start the next one.

“Because of this the road is likely to remain closed until the end of April.

“We would like to apologise for the inconvenience that the road closure is causing local residents and commuters but I am sure everyone will agree that safety of road users comes first.”