A HISTORIC country estate in Hampshire has closed to the public.

Mottisfont closed to visitors earlier this afternoon due to a "major plumbing issue".

A spokesperson for Mottisfont said some parts of the site have been left without water and services have been affected.

She added: "We are waiting for Southern Water to update us. We are hoping that it will be a problem that can easily be solved but we are preparing people in case there is a bigger problem preventing us from opening. We hope we will have a definite answer in the next couple of hours."