Kennington Park Road in south London remains closed after it was flooded this morning by burst water main.

Homes and businesses nearby were either without water or had low pressure as a result of the leak.

Thames Water says customers affected will slowly see their water return but it may take a few hours for normal pressure to build up.

London Fire Brigade had 10 fire engines and 72 firefighters dealing with the flood.

The brigade used hundreds of sandbags to protect homes and shops.

A large pumping operation has cleared the surface water which covered a large area between Kennington Park Road and Newington Butts and was 50cm deep in places.

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Kennington Park Road was flooded by a burst water main. Photo by Will Straw

Station manager Gareth Cook, who is at the scene, said: "This is going to be a protracted incident for the rest of the day.

"Fire crews have been placing sandbags in front of around 15 shops and homes to protect them from the flood.

"Water pumps are being used to suck water from the flooded basements of a number of properties along Kennington Park Road." 

People have been sharing pictures and videos on Twitter, with some seeing the funny side and suggesting the water could provide somewhere to cool off in the heat or could be a new summer attraction.

Going by how brown the water looks, we’re not so sure about that.

This Is Local London:

Kennington Park Road was flooded by a burst water main. Photo by Will Straw

9 Twitter reactions to Kennington flood after burst water main that were ever so slightly over the top