A GP surgery, homes and businesses have suffered severe flooding damage this morning after a mains pipe burst.

Dozens of emergency workers were on hand after water began gushing out of Leighton Road, at the junction with Lady Margaret Road, around 8am.

Homes in Falkland Road were also affected and neighbouring side streets were cordoned off by police.

Appointments had to be cancelled at The Caversham Group Practice in Peckwater Street that had to shut after water surged into its reception.

The surgery this morning

Just after 1pm, practice partner Dr Kevin Clarkson told the New Journal: “Unfortunately, the route the water takes from the road is straight through our reception.

“We had a good foot of water inside and I am wet up to the knees. Outside the glass of the reception door, it had built up to six foot.

“It we had opened it, we would have been ‘tsunami’d’ away.

“The water is now all cleared out and it’s obviously caused some damage, there’s going to be a lot of work to do over the weekend.

“Routine clinics will be moved to the telephone until Monday. Our phone lines will be back up from 2pm.

“We decanted down to Bartholomew Road (James Wigg) until Monday. We survive to live on!”

The neighbouring health centre was not affected by the flood.

Residents in the terraced houses next to the GP practice in Leighton Road said water had pooled in their basements after flooding their gardens.

Water was been cut off to homes and ankle-to-waste deep pools in residents’ basements was beginning to ebb-away at around 11am.

The junction of Leighton Road and Lady Margaret Road 

Leighton Road resident Anne Hall said: “My husband was out in the garden and he couldn’t get back in because there was so much water.

“We did have a lovely house. The water is all in the basement. I can’t even get down the stairs there.”

The flooded homes in Leighton Road 

Residents in Leighton Road, who said they had lived there for decades without a major flood breaching their homes, praised the emergency response for thoroughly checking-up on them.

The Assembly House pub, on the corner of Kentish Town Road, had been lined with sandbags along with the neighbouring Berbere pizzeria.

The council send out water sucking machines to clear the blocked drains 

Fast flowing water was cascading down Kentish Town Road as far south as the Owl Bookshop.

Kentish Town Road was kept open but Leighton Road remained shut both ways, between Kentish Town Road, and Bartholomew Road at midday today (Friday).

The water flowed right down Kentish Town Road 

The tube and railway line was unaffected.

A Thames Water spokesperson said:  “We are sorry to those who have been impacted by a burst water main which occurred just after 7.30am on Friday morning.

“Our teams were on site promptly and have now isolated the burst and are working to complete the repair.

“We have had tankers on site to pump water back into the network to restore supply and pressure.

“Customers should now be seeing water flow from their taps again.

“Thames Water customer representatives are on site to assist with any customers who have been directly impacted by this burst.

“To keep the public and our teams safe, traffic management will be in place while we work to resolve the issue.

“We apologise for the impact this will have on traffic and congestion in the area.”

Emergency workers grab a well-earned hot snack