A BURST water main caused flooding and left hundreds of people without water in their homes across Blackburn and Darwen.

The incident in Branch Road in Lower Darwen was caused by an 18inch water main pipe bursting, water bosses said.

United Utilities said they received around 780 calls about the incident, which happened at around 4.30pm on Friday.

It caused chlorinated water to leak and had the potential to affect several properties, water bosses said.

Branch Road had to be closed due to the water on the road but was reopened by 3pm on Saturday.

Firefighters from Blackburn and Darwen attended to help pump water away from properties and were in attendance for more than six hours.

Properties in the BB1, BB2, BB3 areas of Blackburn faced a loss of water or discoloured water because of the incident.

United Utilities said they completed repairs on the water main at around 8.30am on Saturday.

They said 'water on wheels' tankers were helping to pump water into pipes but warned residents may experience lower pressure or slightly discoloured water for a short time.

A spokesman said: "We know it doesn’t look nice but don’t worry, it’s unlikely to be harmful and will settle down again with time.

"This will remain the case throughout the day as we slowly bring the burst water main back into commission.

"You can help with this by letting your cold water tap run at a slight trickle until your water runs crystal clear again.

"We apologise for the inconvenience this has caused, and thank you for your patience."

Anyone wanting more information should call United Utilities on 0345 672 2888.