A total of 36 properties flooded in south London after early-morning burst

herne hill flood crispin sugden

Thames Water has pledged to handle all insurance claims arising from flooding caused when a water main burst near Herne Hill Station, south London, early today.

About 36 properties were flooded when a 3ft-wide water pipe burst just before 5am at the junction of Half Moon Lane and Herne Hill. Three roads were closed and residents were warned to stay in their homes as water rose to around 1m at street level.

In a notice posted on its website at 2pm today, the company said: “We have a full event team on site and will deal with all insurance/damage claims ourselves. If you have been affected, you will soon be contacted by our insurance team.”

Reassuring property owners

A Thames Water spokesman said the company’s loss adjuster, Cunningham Lindsey, was going round all 36 affected properties during the afternoon, talking to people to get their claims sorted out.

A drop-in session was also mounted in Herne Hill Baptist Church, Half Moon Lane, with representatives of Thames Water and its insurance team, and was expected to run until 8pm.

“Our main priority is to get people’s lives and businesses back to normal,” the company said in a statement. “Our loss adjusters are on site and talking to people to get the insurance process under way.

Pumping out water

“The fire brigade is continuing to pump water from the basements of affected properties, and we’re working with the fire brigade and local authorities to clean up the road. We hope to have the road cleaned and Herne Hill open this evening.”

“”If our pipe has burst and caused damage then it’s our responsibility to put things right,” a spokesman added.