The majority of elderly residents evacuated from sheltered housing after a water main burst on Friday could return to their homes in two days.

A total of 30 falts at Robert Daniels court in Thrifts Mead, Theydon Bois, was declared unsafe by firefighters called to the incident at 7.10pm on Friday.

More than 30 flats were affected by flooding when a mains water tank burst.
There are no reports of any injuries.

Some residents have been staying with relatives, while others have been staying at Marriott Hotel in Old Shire Lane, Waltham Abbey.

The building’s electrics are being checked and de-humidifiers used to dry out the flats.

Jo Huxtable, interim client services director of Home Group, which manages the building, said: “We’ve been working tirelessly since the weekend as we know how important it is to our customers to get back into their homes.

“Our customers’ welfare is our priority and we’re in contact with them every day.
“There are no health implications from the leak and we hope the vast majority of customers will be able to return on Friday.”