Safety checks are being carried out on water in Woodford Bridge after engineers damaged a sewage pipe during repairs to a burst main.

The main burst in Chigwell Road close to Roding Lane North on Wednesday morning sending water gushing down the road and flooding eight properties.

A spokesman for Thames Water said: “During work to repair a burst 12-inch water main in Chigwell Road engineers hit a nearby sewer pipe.

“We repaired the sewer first to make sure that no cross-contamination occurred between the pipes.

“Water was then redirected around the network to keep homes in supply and allow us to fix the broken main.

“A disinfection of the water pipe was carried out and we will be regularly testing water samples to make sure that it is up to standard before being put back into service.”

He added that the water which flooded the road was ‘clean water’.

Southbound traffic on Chigwell Road is still being diverted via Roding Lane North and Green Walk while repairs to the road surface are carried out.

Thames Water says that work will be completed this weekend.