Residents were shocked when they went to make a cup of tea or run a bath only to discover the water was brown.

Sian Burnett was visiting her mother-in-law, in Meresborough Road, Rainham, when her 10-year-old son, Riley, came running out of the shower in disgust because the water was brown.

"He was worried and he jumped out straight away to come and tell us, " she said. "We ran all the taps throughout the house and they all had dark brown water coming out.

"We couldn't make a cup of tea or have a glass of water."

Sian said the brown water first started at 7pm and lasted until bedtime.

And they weren't the only ones to go to be without a shower or a hot drink.

Another resident in Bayswater Drive, Twydall, had to forego her bath when the rather unattractive water poured from the faucet. She took a picture of her rather unappealing tub before resolving to give it a miss.

A spokesman for Southern Water said: "We repaired a burst main in the area. When we do this it can stir up sediment in the pipe and customers may experience some discolouration initially.

"This is normal and should disappear over 48 hours but if it does not, they should contact us.

"We apologise for any inconvenience.”