Block of St Albans flats evacuated due to sinkhole

Residents have been evacuated from a block of flats after a sinkhole appeared next to it.

Emergency services were called to Cedar Court in Cedarwood Drive, St Albans, at 6.35am on Tuesday, after the sinkhole was discovered.

The evacuation was a precaution because of how close sinkhole is to the block in the Hertfordshire city.

Around 20 residents have been affected, a spokesman for St Albans City and District Council said.

The spokesman said: "Council officers from our Building Control and Environmental Services teams have been down on site this morning."The council has brought together an incident management team, as is usual in such circumstances.

"We are working with partners including the Police and Hertfordshire County Council to make sure people are safe."

Structural engineers and utility services attended the scene.

A crew from Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue stayed on site until 8pm on Tuesday to assist.

Residents were also forced to leave their homes when another sinkhole opened up in St Albans in October 2015.

The 66ft (20m) crater opened up across a driveway and front garden on Fontmell Close, with 20 people evacuated as a precaution.