Anglian Water says a second leak in a burst water main has “complicated” its repair work.

A fault was first reported to the utility company at about 7am and it quickly emerged that a burst water main had left thousands of homes in Littleport, Little Downham and the surrounding villages without water.

Homeowners in Prickwillow and Coveney may also be experiencing problems as a result of the burst pipe.

Engineers said they expected the problem to be fixed by 2pm, without normal service resumed by 6pm, but a second leak has pushed the repair time back to at least 9pm.

A spokesman said: “We’re really sorry for the continued disruption to customers in Littleport and Little Downham. Unfortunately, a second leak on the pipe has complicated the repair work.

“We are continuing to divert water from other areas and using tankers to help boost water pressure for the Littleport and Little Downham area. Customers in these areas may experience low pressure or no water this evening during peak ‘tea-time’ demand, until approximately 9pm.

“Once demand drops, pressure will start to increase again although it may still be lower than normal.

“We fully understand just how frustrating this is and we are doing all we can to repair it. Once again we are very sorry for the inconvenience and disruption this may have caused.”