Roads become RIVERS in village after pipe in nearby field is damaged

Farmer and his nephew turn roads into rivers in picturesque Derbyshire village when they accidentally break water pipe to send gallons of water gushing through the streets

  • Philip Langton, 57, and his nephew were using a post knocker to strengthen posts when they struck the pipe
  • The pipe near the Derbyshire village of Milford then began to spout gallons of water into the air 
  • Villagers are wading through muddy water in their homes and a floral business has been ‘ruined’
  • Police closed roads and advised people to avoid the area following the incident at about 11.20am

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A farmer and his nephew are unpopular with their neighbours after accidentally smashing through a pipe to send gallons of water flooding through their village.

Philip Langton, 57, said the pair had been using a post knocker mounted to a tractor to strengthen gateposts on his land. 

The pipe near Milford in Derbyshire, a village on the River Derwent, has been spouting gallons of water into the air.

He told the Telegraph: ‘The water was 100ft in the air, it was unbelievable, the power of it.

‘There must have been a million gallons of water. It went on for 50 minutes. We just moved away from it as quickly as we could and I called Severn Trent.

‘We haven’t done anything wrong but everybody wants someone to blame and to point the finger.’

A giant spout of water fires into the sky today in Milford, Derbyshire. The area was flooded after the pipe accident

Villagers have been wading through muddy water in their homes and one said his wife’s florist business had been ‘ruined’. Police closed roads and advised people to avoid the area following the incident at about 11.20am.

Ian Busting surveys the damage to his home and his wife's florist business, saying: 'Someone will have to pay for all this'

Ian Busting surveys the damage to his home and his wife’s florist business, saying: ‘Someone will have to pay for all this’

Severn Trent Water said this afternoon that it was making ‘good progress in isolating the pipe’ and the water should be turned off soon.

Local Ian Busting said: ‘My wife is devastated. Everything’s ruined. Someone will have to pay for all this. We have a large corporate order which needs to go out on Thursday. We’ll have to find a way of completing the order.’

Alex Wilbraham, owner of the Holly Bush Inn, said: ‘It’s like a river. It’s been going for about an hour. We’ve made a barricade outside of the pub to stop the water flowing in. The volume and speed of it is crazy.’

Rafe Hock, owner of the Riverside Fitness Centre, told Derbyshire Live: ‘It started with just a surge of water at around 11.30am and we noticed that cars coming past would cause a wave of water to enter the gym.  

Severn Trent Water said this afternoon that the damage was caused by a 'third party' doing work in the village

Severn Trent Water said this afternoon that the damage was caused by a ‘third party’ doing work in the village

Mr Busting said his wife has a 'large corporate order which needs to go out' and that she is 'devastated' by the flooding

Mr Busting said his wife has a ‘large corporate order which needs to go out’ and that she is ‘devastated’ by the flooding

‘The police came and helped us contain the traffic. There’s going to be a lot of damaged equipment in the gym but whatever will happen, it will dry or be replaced. We’ll probably be shut for a while.’

The A6 through the village was closed along with Shaw Lane, Red Lane and Makeney Road at the junction with Derby Road. Trent Barton said its buses could not serve stops in the area and warned of ‘significant’ delays. 

A spokesman for Amber Valley Borough Council said: ‘The council has diverted all available resources to Milford with five vehicles taking a total of 400 sandbags (the entire stock) to the scene. 

An STW spokesman said: ‘We’ve been dealing with a large pipe that was damaged by a third party in a field in Milford, Derbyshire. Our teams have switched the pipe off, while ensuring everyone has water.  

The A6 through the village was closed along with Shaw Lane, Red Lane and Makeney Road at the junction with Derby Road

The A6 through the village was closed along with Shaw Lane, Red Lane and Makeney Road at the junction with Derby Road

Villagers have been wading through muddy water in their homes after the water main burst in a field

Villagers have been wading through muddy water in their homes after the water main burst in a field

‘We can now dig down to fix the pipe. We’re very aware that the damage has caused flooding in Milford and we have got teams to the village to help anyone who’s been affected by the escaping water. 

‘We’re in regular contact with the emergency services and would like to thank them for their help.’

‘A Derbyshire Fire and Rescue spokesman said: ‘Several homes along Makeney Road at the junction with Derby Road have been evacuated and welfare checks are being carried out at houses along the route. 

‘Seven Trent Water has isolated the burst and it is anticipated that the flow of water will now steadily decrease. Seven Trent customers water supply will not be affected by this incident.

‘Emergency planning teams have organised and opened a rest centre for anyone affected by the incident. Anyone attending the rest centre should consider the safest route considering all road closures.’ 

An emergency rest centre has been opened at The Weston Centre, Tamworth Street, Duffield, DE56 4ER 

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk