More than 1,380 properties facing water disruption

Up to 1,388 properties in three Kent towns are facing disruption to water supplies for a second day.

South East Water (SEW) said the interruptions started in the early hours of Friday in Benenden, Cranbrook and Rolvenden.

The company has blamed a combination of high water demand, fire service hydrant use and two recent water main bursts as the causes.

Incident manager Steve Benton said they were "sorry" to customers who continue to experience issues on Saturday.

He said SEW had "successfully repaired" a burst on Swattenden Lane in Cranbrook on Friday.

Engineers had started to recharge the network and restore supplies to some customers in the area, he said.

"However, overnight we have unfortunately experienced a further burst on the same water main. Our team is working to repair the new burst as a matter of urgency," he explained.

"Up to 50 properties on higher ground in the Benenden North area may also experience intermittent water supplies, low pressure or no water on Saturday morning."

SEW says it has opened a bottled water station in The Weald Sports Centre, Angley Road, Cranbrook, which would close at 22:00 BST Saturday.

The beleaguered company has faced strong criticism over repeated incidents of water supply issues.

SEW's new boss John Halsall, had admitted the company "has not done well enough" to deliver safe and reliable water to customers.

The latest disruption follows a series of previous incidents, including more than 4,600 properties in Bredgar, Borden, Doddington and Teynham being affected earlier this month.

In July, thousands of properties in Heathfield and Sandy Cross, East Sussex, were either without water or had low pressure.

During the May bank holiday, 18,000 properties in several areas of Kent were affected, with the company blaming soaring temperatures for the increased demand.

Last month, SEW expanded the hosepipe ban to cover 2.4 million people across the south of England in response to record-breaking temperatures.

Follow BBC Kent on Facebook, X, and on Instagram and listen to BBC Radio Kent on Sounds. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.