Pupils have been sent home from a school following a burst water main.

St Margaret's Collier Street C Of E Primary School near Marden has had to shut due to a lack of running water.

In an email sent home to parents today (June 19), head teacher Paul Ryan said: “All morning we have been experiencing very low water pressure.

“We now have no water for hand washing or toilets and in this very warm weather, we are aware that the need for running water is essential.

“Therefore, I have had to make the decision that we are closing the school.

“Please could you collect your child(ren) as soon as possible by coming to the office. Football Club and Makaton are also cancelled. After-school care ideally needs to stop as well.

“If you have no alternative collection arrangements, please phone the school. Please accept my sincere apologies for the inconvenience.”

Just after 9am, South East Water reported on its website that there was a problem in the TN12 area.

In an update at 5.16pm, it said: “We're really sorry to those of you who are experiencing low water pressure or no water at the moment.

“We're currently working to fix a burst water main which has been delayed due to complications with the traffic management, as another utility company was already working close by, causing safety issues.

“This has now been resolved, and the fix to the burst main will start soon.

“In the meantime, we have managed to re-route water from another area, so water will return shortly, although those on higher ground will take longer to see their water returned.

“For a small number of customers close to the burst mai,n unfortunately, we are unable to re-route water to your properties but we will be delivering bottled water direct to you.

“We can't say just yet how long this will take, but please rest assured we're doing everything we can to get you back up and running as soon as possible. and are very sorry for any issues this has caused, especially in this hot weather.”