Residents' shock as large sinkhole opens on Kent street

Residents have been speaking of their shock after a large sinkhole opened up on the outskirts of Maidstone.

People living on Broomshaw Road in Barming woke on Sunday morning to find parts of the road and their driveways had disappeared.

Around 30 homes were left without water for more than ten hours after a mains pipe collapsed. South East Water has now restored the supply and will return to the road tomorrow to investigate

Local people say it's not the first time a sinkhole has appeared in the area, but it's still left them shocked:

The council has cordoned off the road until a site visit can be made on Tuesday, when it's hoped both the pipe and road repairs can be completed.

They will also look at whether the adjoining land, earmarked for development, is safe to build on.