SOUTH East Water has confirmed that a spectacular rupture which sent water spouting tens of feet into the air outside the shops at Southview Rise, Alton, last Tuesday afternoon was caused by “third-party damage”.

According to Steve Benton, head of operations west for the utility company, South East Water had been alerted to a leak near Lime Avenue, on the Greenfields Avenue estate, just before noon.

“Our technician found that a six-inch water main had burst following third-party damage caused by contractors currently working in the area.”

A South East Water team had been sent to repair the damaged pipe but no customer water supplies were believed to have been affected.

The picture shows that work was interrupted as water spurted high into the air from a ruptured water main on Lime Avenue, off Southview Rise, in Alton.