THE cold weather has burst dozens of underground water pipes in mid Kent. The freezing cold has left Mid Kent Water facing a potential record number of leaks.

The company estimates that millions of litres of water are being lost every day as it battles round the clock to find and fix a string of burst pipes. Homeowners were being warned to make sure their water pipes were properly lagged.

Customers in rural areas are also being advised to check cattle troughs, standpipes and irrigation systems for leaks. Many of the appliances are metered and a leak could cost customers dear. A company spokeswoman said an un-seasonal increase in demand for water had acted like an early warning signal that all was not well with the system.

The spokeswoman added: "We realised quickly that the increase in demand was due to water leaking from our underground water supply network. Our team of technicians have been working around the clock to locate the leaks and fix them. The long term forecast is that the extremely cold weather is set to continue. We would appeal to people to report leaks as soon as they spot them."

Unlike house pipes, the underground water pipes are not bursting because they are frozen. The weather is so cold it is freezing the ground. That causes movement in the soil and puts strain on the pipes to the point where they burst.

* Mid Kent Water's 24-hour free Leakline number is 0800 614366.