A BURST pipe has been pouring out water for more than three weeks after it was reported by a couple coping with the hose-pipe ban. Gillian and Michael Russell spotted the leak which is flooding into a field near Onslow Green Road, High Easter and immedia

A BURST pipe has been pouring out water for more than three weeks after it was reported by a couple coping with the hose-pipe ban.

Gillian and Michael Russell spotted the leak which is flooding into a field near Onslow Green Road, High Easter and immediately reported it to Three Valleys Water.

Mrs Russell said: "My husband and I had a nightmare getting hold of them. We tried calling all their numbers for almost a week but they just all kept saying 'we're all busy'. I then managed to get through on their drought line. I explained the situation to the woman and she said she would get someone to call me back. But they didn't. That was almost three weeks ago now."

After a fortnight of trying to get through on all Three Valleys Water numbers again, Mrs Russell gave up and contacted The Broadcast.

She said: "I'm sick of carrying my watering cans around to water the garden during this hose-pipe ban and we're constantly being told to save water and then we have to see this flood every day."

Farmer Richard Walker, whose Little Leys Farm borders the flood, said: "I suppose it's not classed as a priority case which is why they're taking their time. It's not the first time this pipe had burst, the same thing happened in the same place a few years ago."

Three Valleys Water say they assessed the flood on July 10 and a scheduled a repair but other jobs came up and took priority.

A spokesman said: "We have been experiencing a higher volume of calls the last two or three weeks but shall look into the problems Mrs Russell experienced when trying to get through to us.