A BURST water main “disaster” near electric works outside a pub forced the business to close- on the landlady’s birthday.

Flood water pouring out of the burst main under the driveway of The Ship, in New Road, Leigh, also threatened to spill onto nearby railway tracks.

Supplier Essex and Suffolk Water was forced to cut off supplies to homes as a result.

Licensee Sarah Stanton said contractors working on behalf of UK Power Networks were not directly to blame.

However, she believes vibrations from digging ruptured the pipes at about 11am on Thursday.

She said: “They have told me I will have to close. The water needs to be turned off otherwise it will go onto the railway lines.

“They keep turning it back on again though because they can’t agree about where the leak actually is.

“It has been a complete disaster."

Miss Stanton said she was already unhappy about the extent of the works because they had left her unable to use the driveway.

But the burst main meant she was also forced to turn away deliveries and close the bar, all on her 38th birthday.

She said: “I have had water in the cellar but fortunately it has not been too bad.

“The workmen came and put some sandbags down because there is an electric box right by the door- I don’t fancy going ‘bang’.

“I had gone out for a bit and everything was fine and then I came back to this. I’m just glad that I wasn’t out too long.

“I have to keep making light of it otherwise I think I’d cry.”

She added: “I hope I’m not going to be expected to pay for any of this.”

A spokesman for the electricity company said the leak was not caused by the works.

He said: “UK Power Networks has contractors working in the area who reported a water leak outside our work cordon.

“At this stage we do not believe it is associated with our works.”

A spokesman for Essex and Suffolk Water said repair work would be carried out as soon as possible.

He said : “There is a burst water main in Leigh. There is no flooding that we are aware of.

“We do know of a small number of properties that are without their high quality water supply at the moment.

“We have been speaking to them and they have been warned that the water will be off at 7pm.

“Repair work is under way and is still ongoing.”