THAMES Water is set to close Alfred Road near the junction with Firgrove Hill for up to two-and-a-half weeks starting on Monday, August 1.

A connection between two sections of sewer pipe has slipped out of place, resulting in repeat blockages caused by items such as wet wipes clinging to the misaligned joint.

The roadworks have been timed to coincide with the school holidays and it is hoped the repairs will be completed by Friday, August 19.

A Thames Water spokesman said: “This is a must-do job to stop blockages forming in the sewer pipe which could potentially lead to flooding and sewage backing up into properties.

“We’ve planned it for the school holidays to reduce the level of traffic disruption and will do all we can to finish the work as quickly as possible.”