RESIDENTS on a housing estate have told how their quiet cul-de-sac was turned into a scene of devastation when a water main burst and sent water gushing through their street.

RESIDENTS on a housing estate have told how their quiet cul-de-sac was turned into a scene of devastation when a water main burst and sent water gushing through their street.

Just before midnight on Wednesday residents in Clarence Road, Clare, rushed from their homes to move vehicles out of the water, which had risen above knee height.

Two residents were forced to watch helplessly as their vehicles filled with muddy water. People living on the road spent all day yesterday

counting the cost of the flood.

The torrent of water, which rushed through the entire street, was so fierce it caused a large bank at the end of the road to collapse, and forced tonnes of earth to fall onto a footpath which narrowly missed homes below.

The area has now been sealed off for safety reasons.

Many driveways, pavements, gardens and the road were damaged and left covered in silt and dirt after the water submerged150-yards of the street.

Anglian Water workmen spent all day at the site repairing the burst main, but it is expected to be several more days before all the repairs are carried out in the street.

Resident Penny Parker said: "It was just before midnight and I got a knock on my door and there was just a scene of panic.

"I have never seen anything like it, it was like a rushing torrent, four or five feet wide."

Robert Walker, who lives at the bottom of the sloped road, watched as his Ford Fiesta car filled up with water.

"A neighbour knocked on my door and I just saw all this water, it was like a fast flowing river. Some of the neighbours were out moving their cars, but the water was just too high at this end of the road, it was over knee-height.

"I have had to spend all day drying out my car, but fortunately I don't think there is any lasting damage. There was such a commotion, the bank collapsed and the drains were overflowing because there was just too much water."

An Anglian Water spokesman said: "We received a call to Clarence Road in the early hours of the morning and our men promptly arrived at the scene to shut off the main.

"Several customers had their water supplies cut off for a while. Ground movement burst the main and we are now trying to establish how many gallons of water were lost.

"We are aware the flood caused damage to cars and gardens and also caused a bank to collapse. We have informed our insurers and will be writing to the customers advising them what to do.

"It is likely we will employ contractors to reinstate the bank in a safe way. We would like to apologise to our customers for any inconvenience caused to them."