EIGHT thousand litres of water have had to be removed after a burst water main flooded gas pipes in Poole.

And while Southern Gas Networks say they are making good progress, it could take until the end of the week to fully fix the problem.

Around 605 properties have been without a gas supply on Canford Heath since yesterday when a section of gas main in Culliford Crescent was damaged.

“Culliford Crescent is at the top of a hill and due to this the water has travelled downhill and affected several streets,” said a Southern Gas Networks spokesman.

Water flooded the gas network and properties on Chedington Close, Culliford Crescent, Hawkchurch Gardens, Marshwood Avenue, Pilsdon Drive, Pimpern Close, Redhoave Road, Rowbarrow Close and Walditch Gardens are affected.

Southern Gas Network engineers are on site and have visited every property and turned their gas supply off.

“We currently have a team of 50 staff working on site – resources have been drafted in from all over southern England,” said the spokesman.

The supplier has opened a customer centre at St Paul’s Church in Culliford Crescent and it handing out portable electric heaters and hotplates for those without gas, offering them first to elderly, disabled, chronically sick or customers with young children or other special needs. It will be open until 10pm tonight.

“Our priority today is to clean out and then repair the section of our damaged pipe, plus continue to remove water. This is a difficult procedure involving the use of specialist equipment and will take a bit of time.

“Once this is done we can reintroduce gas to the local network and then begin the process of restoring supplies to homes. Our engineers will need to visit each affected property to restore the gas supply and perform a safety check. Properties will be reconnected in phases, realistically this will start tomorrow.”

The spokesman added: “We are sorry for the inconvenience caused. We would like to thank residents for their patience while we complete these works.”