RESIDENTS told how they were left without water for 12 hours after they woke up to discover a main had burst.

People living around the junction of Park Lane and Point Road, Canvey - close to the Canvey Island Football Club ground - were left with flooded gardens and garages.

The road was closed while emergency repairs were carried out - meaning residents were unable to go out in their cars.

The work was delayed while additional safety checks were carried out to other utility services in the area - which residents told was the result of concerns about a gas leak.

John Butler, 60, who moved to his home in Park Lane 18 months ago said he can regularly smell gas.

He said: “The water was bubbling with gas at the top of the road. I think this problem could have been solved earlier.

Margaret Eastwood, 81, discovered the garage running alongside her house in Park Lane was covered in water when she woke up to walk her dog, Charlie, at 6.30am on Sunday.

She said: “It cost me more money to go to the shops to stock up on supplies because I had to take a taxi.”

Mrs Eastwood is a members of the island’s Multiple Sclerosis support club. Since losing her husband to the disease earlier in the year she has found daily life challenging - but praised repair workers from Essex and Suffolk Water for giving residents helpful updates and supplying drinking water.

Neighbour Vic Hall, 61, also experienced damage to his front drive and garden due to the leak.

He said: “I got up and thought I had left the hose on. The front garden was soaked, but it can be easily repaired.

“Thankfully none of the damage was too drastic.”

The mini roundabout at the junction remained cordoned off yesterday as the road now needs to be repaired.

Essex and Suffolk Water began fixing the leak and working to reinstate the water supply at 9am on Sunday.

A spokesman said: “We would like to apologise to any customers affected for the disruption caused and reassure local-residents that we are working as quickly as possible to re-instate the road surface.”