WORKMEN are digging up one of Great Yarmouth's main shopping streets after a water main burst, jetting water 6ft into the air.

The incident, on the bend of King Street by the Body Shop, has seen the road cordoned off by police after water began to gush out of the ground shortly after midday today (Saturday, June 23).

A spokesman for Essex & Suffolk Water confirmed a 12-inch cast iron water main had burst, with water finding its way to the surface via a nearby water hydrant.

He added: 'It is around 70 years old, and it's a case of wear and tear.'

There has been some damage to the road surface, he said.

A crew is on site and has managed to reduce the flow of water, and is drilling into the road surface to access the pipe.

Workers hope to have the problem fixed by 7pm.

People who live nearby have been warned that their water may appear discoloured while the water main is being fixed.

The spokesman added: 'It is unsightly and unpleasant but it is not harmful to health.

'If you run your taps after the incident is resolved, it will clear.'

The road is a major route for buses in the town, and vehicles are having to divert away from the incident.

Click on the link to the top right of this story for a gallery of pictures.