Thames Water employee desperately puts cones round 30ft jet of water from burst main

A workman sent to deal with a 30ft jet of water has been ridiculed after he was seen on camera desperately placing cones around a burst water main.

Drinkers in a pub nearby were treated to an impromptu display when the water main gave way in Guildford, Surrey, yesterday. A fountain of water began gushing into the air with enough force to make it potentially dangerous, prompting workers to quickly leap into action to make sure people were kept back.

One clip shows an employee carrying a traffic cone in each hand and heading towards the spout. The hydrant was located at an A road junction, close to the Wooden Bridge pub, which made a joke of the situation by posting a video on its Facebook page. It said: "Lovely new water feature outside the pub today! We're still open as usual!! The bridge and our car park are clear and Thames Water onsite fixing it now!"

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Another video taken by Lee Spiers shows the huge water feature from a bridge nearby, with a mechanical digger close by. Some joked that the digger operator would have never moved so quickly, while others sniggered: "Guildford has a new water fountain."

Meanwhile, others poked fun at the man who tried to put cones around the 'fountain', scoffing: "It's alright, here comes a bloke with a couple of cones...". Another amused commenter said: "And they tell US to not waste water," while one added: "But be sure to only take a quick shower, water your garden with a teaspoon, clean your car with a wet wipe. If ever a company needed nationalising.....".

Properties in three postcodes were affected by low pressure or no water thanks to the burst main. However the repair was complete by around 4.30pm and supplies began to return. A spokeswoman said: "Our engineers have responded to the burst from a hydrant at the junction of Manor Road and Woodbridge Hill in Guildford, and the repair is now complete. Everyone who was impacted, should now find their water is back on."