Southern Water has apologised publicly after it failed to find a leaking pipe which was causing water to come out through the road.

We reported last week how water had been spilling outside Joy and Lee Ewart’s home in Manor Road, Rushenden.

The supplier believed it was coming from high groundwater levels rather than a leak after it could not find evidence of damaged pipes.

The results of water tests to find out whether this was the case was pending at the time of going to press.

This week, however, a Southern Water spokesman said: “We owe the residents of Manor Road an apology.

“The surface water in the area was indeed caused by a leak as they had suspected and not by groundwater as we had initially thought.

“The leak went undiscovered as it was further away from the pool of water than we had thought.

“It was found and fixed last week and we are sorry for the mistake.”