A PUB has been flooded and 60 homes have been left without water after a pipe burst in a Hampshire village.

The Forest Inn in Ashurst has closed after the incident, which happened on the A35 at about 5am this morning.

Pictures from the scene show water inside the building, as well as across the road.

Police closed the road to mortorists this morning but it is now open with temporary signals in place.

A pub statement on Facebook says: "We won't be open during the day today but we may open this evening provided there isn't too much to clear up.

"We hope to be open as normal tomorrow in time for our band night with driftwood."

Initially it was reported that a sewer had burst but Southern Water confirmed that it is fresh water and not sewage.

A statement says: "We were made aware of a burst fresh water main in Ashurst on the A35 by the police at 5:30am.

"Our engineers were immediately dispatched and are currently on site investigating the issue.

"At present a short emergency road closure is in place from the junction of Lyndhurst Rd and New Road, in order to protect the public while we carry out our work as quickly and safely as possible.

"We will provide updates as soon as possible and would like to thank people for their patience while we carry out this vital work."

The spokesman added: "In order for our vital repair work to continue on the A35, we have had to temporarily suspend water supplies to around 60 properties in the area. We are currently working to find and fix the leak as quickly as possible and will keep in contact with customers as the situation progresses.

"Our crew have worked hard to minimise the loss of water supply to nearby properties and using specialist pressure valves they have managed to decrease the number who would be affected from several hundred to 60.

"Traffic management will remain in place at present for the safety of road users and our crew, and we would like to thank local residents and drivers for their patience and understanding while we carry out this emergency repair."

Yesterday hundreds of Totton residents were left without water on the hottest day of the year after the water main burst in Jacobs Gutter Lane, closing Houndsdown School.