Hillside Special School in Sudbury was forced to close after a burst water main affected a large part of the town today.

The school, in Hitchcock Place, had to send 80 pupils home after it lost its supply around 10am this morning.

Anglia Water said it was aiming to restore supplies by 5pm but the school had to close early on what was the last day of term.

Headteacher Michelle Kelly said: "We had no water at all in the building so we could not open as we were unable to flush toilets, wash hands or drink water.

"It was a really big challenge for the school but everyone pulled together and did what was needed to ensure the best interests of the pupils."

The burst main was in Springlands Way and left dozens of properties and businesses in the north of the town with reduced pressure or no water at all, although nearby Ormiston Sudbury Academy in Tudor Road was unaffected.

An Anglian Water spokesperson said: "Our teams are currently working to repair a burst water main on Springlands Way in Sudbury.

"We've moved water around our network so everyone's water supply should be getting back to normal.

"Three-way traffic lights will be in place between Springlands Way and Second Avenue while our engineers complete the repair.

"We're sorry for any inconvenience this causes, we'll be working to get things back to normal as quickly as possible.

"Don't worry if the water is cloudy when it comes back. This is perfectly normal this is just air trapped in the water and if customers leave it to stand in a glass or a jug it will soon clear."