ABOUT 2,000 homes were left without water after a major water mains pipe burst.

North West Water engineers battled for ten hours to mend the leak, which affected houses across a large part of Nelson.

Water supplies were fully restored by midnight.

A water tanker toured the area offering emergency supplies to residents and a loudspeaker van was used to keep people informed about how repair work was progressing.

The cause of the burst in a ten-inch main in Hibson Road yesterday lunchtime is not clear.

Much of the mains network is 100 years old and wearing out.

Heavy traffic can also damage or move the pipes.

NWW spokesman Janice Reeves said: "It was a pretty major burst. "In order to carry out the repair, North West Water shut off around 2,000 properties from two o'clock in the area between Hibson Road and Waidshouse Road, and Hill Place and Brunswick Street.

"We had to dig to locate the burst and encountered some difficulties in carrying out the repair.

"All the supplies were back on by midnight, a couple of hours later than we anticipated.

"North West Water apologises for any inconvenience caused to its customers."

Peter Kirrage, manager of The Trafalgar pub in Railway Street, said: "It caused us some inconvenience but we stayed open.

"It was crazy. Most of the people coming in here last night had no water supply but a couple of hundred yards down the road they were all right.

"One guy came in saying his immersion heater was broken because it was heating up and there was no water in the tank.

"Our ice-making machine almost blew up."

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