HUNDREDS of people were told to boil their water after workmen cut through a main supply pipe.

Four hundred households in Mellor Brook, Blackburn, were urged to follow the precautionary measure of boiling all drinking water and water for brushing teeth about 7.20pm yesterday.

Other homes and the Swallow Hotel at Samlesbury also had their main supply cut off and were supplied with bottled water while engineers carried out repairs. The warning came from water company United Utilities who said it was as a result of damage to water mains by a third party in Whalley Road.

"The damaged main is near to a sewage pipe and as a precautionary measure 400 properties have been issued notification to boil their water for drinking and brushing their teeth."

People were told to continue boiling their water until they had received further written notification.

Hotel staff said the water supply was turned back on about 3am today. The nearby Boddingtons Arms hotel and Travel Lodge was not affected.

One homeowner whose water was turned off about 4pm yesterday said: "It was off when I got home that evening and it stayed off for most of the night. "I can't believe something like this could happen though. Surely the workmen have plans to tell them where the water mains are. But the water board have been really fantastic. They came out immediately when we called them and they explained the situation and brought us bottled water."

Water company bosses today revealed they are continuing to develop new technology in a bid to win their war on leaking mains.

The news comes after United Utilities revealed it was still the industry leader in the battle to stop wasting water after reducing their amount to 463million litres a day.