Residents in Hethersett and Mulbarton have either been without water or experienced low water pressure throughout the day due to burst water mains.

Officials from Anglian Water are currently on their way to Station Lane, in Hethersett, where bottles of water will be handed out to householders whose water has been cut off since this morning.

A nearby water main burst at about 6.40am, but engineers had to abandon fixing the problem when the pipe burst in a second place and flooded their excavation hole. The water main then burst in a third place at about 12.30pm.

The combination of ruptures has led to low water pressure in the area and about 40 properties having their water cut off completely as engineers isolate the sections of affected pipe.

In an unrelated incident, a water main also burst at The Rosery, Mulbarton, which has left 33 properties in the village without water.

A spokesman for Anglian Water said engineers are working to have all the pipes fixed by this evening, but was unable to give any specific times. He said it was too early to tell what had caused the multiple bursts.

He added: 'We apologise to everyone who has been affected through either having their water cut off or having low water pressure.

'We want to reassure everyone that we are working hard to get things back to normal and we will be staying on site until we do.'