A York city centre street was due to be fully reopened this afternoon after a burst 15-inch water main brought chaos to the area.

Part of Walmgate, between St Denys Road and Margaret Street, was closed to traffic for much of yesterday after the dramatic flood.

ABOVE: Water surges from the ruptured main ripping up paving blocks and part of the road. BELOW LEFT: Shop staff try to stem the tide. BELOW RIGHT: A bare-footed pedestrian crosses Walmgate

Traffic lights were installed and a one-way vehicle flow began during last night's rush hour.

Several shops were flooded when water rushed down Walmgate from the burst next to Hurst's Yard.

Noel Pullan, the owner of shoe repair and dancewear shop Linfoots, said: "I saw the water on the pavement and then it came in the door. My stock is ruined as well as the shop fitting and the carpet. There's £20,000-worth of stock in here."

Mr Pullan said he would have to close the shop for a number of days and would be seeking compensation.

The water main burst outside MandP Motorcycles, where staff member Alex Noble alerted colleagues to the burst. "It just exploded," he said.

Peter Evely, City of York Council's head of highways and regulations, said: "When it blew we had a four-foot high fountain."

Yorkshire Water spokesman David Simister said an 18-inch long mains section would be replaced by early today and the road should be filled in later.

He added "It's just one of those things. When a main of this size goes it's quite spectacular."

The cause of the burst was probably age. "The main itself was laid in 1910."

He said the main takes water from a treatment works at Acomb Landing to water towers distributing water around York, but water was diverted from other "zones" in the local system and no properties had lost their supply.

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