A MYSTERIOUS thief could be stealing water from a Suffolk village’s supply.

Residents in Ingham, near Bury St Edmunds, have reported showers and taps suddenly run dry and water stops for up 45 minutes at a time.

Anglian Water has launched an investigation into the strange events and believes a thief is tapping into the mains supply.

Keith Boswell, vice-chairman of Ingham Parish Council, said the problem has been going on for several weeks.

Some residents have called plumbers after a sudden drop then rise in pressure affected their combi boilers while others have complained about dirty water when the water comes back on, he claimed“I was watering my tomato plants and half-way through it just stopped,” Mr Boswell added.

“We are worried about the health implications because, if someone is taking water, they could be pushing all sorts of nasty stuff into the system.”

Concerned villagers packed a parish council meeting last week to discuss the issue and Mr Boswell said the meeting was disappointed no-one from Anglian Water had attended.

The company is due to meet some residents on Wednesday to discuss the issue further.

“We have only 150 houses in a small village and really we are not big enough to be annoying,” Mr Boswell said.

He said he was curious about Anglian Water’s claim someone was stealing large quantities of water. “The fire brigade takes water from the same main and it has no effect,” he said.

A spokesman for Anglian Water said the firm was staying in touch with residents and while it investigated the source of the problem and would speak to them next week to discuss their concerns.

“Due to the intermittent nature of the supply disruptions, it is our belief a large amount of water is being taken directly, and illegally, from out water network,” he said. “This could be from a fire hydrant, for instance.

“We will continue to investigate this and will take appropriate action to ensure our customers’ supply is not interrupted. This is our priority.”