RESIDENTS of a luxury Southampton tower block have finally returned home a week after first being evacuated, according to the firm which manages the building.

Hundreds of people in the 26-storey Moresby Tower block, Blake Building and Hawkins Tower in Ocean Village were told to leave their homes after a flood in the building’s basement last weekend.

Caused by a burst water main, firefighters were called to the buildings which were left without electricity on Sunday, May 28.

Spending time in hotels, the occupants of the 300 properties at the Admirals Quay development were finally allowed back home on Saturday afternoon, according to SDL Bigwood, which manages the building.

But the block is still not fully back to normal - some lifts are yet to be restored and underground car parks remain inaccessible.

A statement from SDL said: “This follows a series of works to reinstate both the domestic water supply, and electricity to all essential services, which was affected by a burst water pipe over the bank holiday weekend.

"The SDL Bigwood team has worked alongside insurers, the fire service and contractors to enable inhabitants to return as quickly as possible, and thanks all involved for their support in safeguarding residents’ welfare throughout.

"SDL Bigwood would like to pay particular thanks to residents for their co-operation during this delicate and complicated process.

"While one lift in each building is operational for fire service use, access to passenger lifts has yet to be restored, so SDL Bigwood has additional staff on duty to assist residents with luggage. SDL Bigwood has also arranged alternative parking, as underground car parks also remain inaccessible for health and safety reasons.

"SDL Bigwood will remain on site, working to restore access to these services, facilitating the reimbursement of expenses through the loss adjuster, and maintaining health and safety."