Several families were left without running water as they woke to Christmas Day after a burst water main.  Around 100 people in Hastings reported either low pressure or a complete loss of supply, said the Southern Water.

The firm stated that it had set up a bottled water station and delivered supplies directly to those in need. The affected postcodes included TN34, TN35, TN37 and TN38. The outage was sparked by "very low" water levels at Fairlight Reservoir, as well as a power outage at Brede Water Supply Works.

In an update this morning, Southern Water stated that teams were continuing to restore the water supply in Hastings to normal, adding that both supply works were "running well." However, it did not rule out the possibility of continued disruption.

"While we cannot entirely rule out the possibility of further interruptions, as experienced yesterday, both water supply works are currently running well, significantly reducing the risk of pressure loss or a wider supply disruption," the statement said.

It added: "It will take several days for the drinking water storage reservoirs to return to their normal levels. We will continue with our regular updates here, and we are opening the bottled water station at Pelham Place Car Park, Carlisle Parade, Hastings, TN34 3AD from 9am as a precautionary measure only."

Helena Dollimore, Labour MP for Hastings and Rye, said she was “angry” that the town is “paying the price for the failures of Southern Water”.

Tania Flasck, director of water operations at Southern Water, had said: “We know this is worrying news, especially on Christmas Day, and we want to reassure our customers that we’re doing everything possible to restore normal levels at Fairlight Reservoir.

“We’d also ask everyone in Hastings and the wider area to use water carefully where they can. This will help us refill the reservoir more quickly and reduce the risk of any supply interruptions.”