Investigation after main bursts twice in six weeks

An investigation is under way after a street was flooded twice in six weeks because of a burst a water main.

Part of Chester Road in Sunderland had to be closed on Monday after a leak at the Western Hill junction.

The street previously flooded in the same area on 4 December last year, but Northumbrian Water said a different section of the pipe had burst this time.

A spokesperson said repairs had been completed and the road was expected to reopen fully by early next week.

"There was a burst on a different section of this pipe towards the end of last year, which we repaired and reinstated as quickly as we could," the spokesperson said.

"We are carrying out investigations into why there have been two bursts on this main and we are looking at what we can do to build resilience in this area."

The December flood caused an underground cable fault which led to power cuts for 110 properties.

Northumbrian Water added it was looking to install more monitors in the area to help spot issues as early as possible.

Follow BBC Sunderland on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].