THREE houses were flooded when a mains pipe burst, sending water shooting 20 feet into the air.

Firefighters and police were called to a burst pipe in Barnhill Avenue, Bromley, at around 10pm on Wednesday, and they had to place sandbags in front of houses to stop the flow of water.

Thames Water workmen managed to fix the pipe by 4am, but three properties suffered minor flooding, with Mack Patel’s home the worst hit with around six inches of water in the porch.

The 64-year-old retired shopkeeper said: “We have been fortunate to get away with not much damage. A few rugs and shoes have been damaged, but that’s it.

“The fire brigade and police were here within 20 minutes, and Thames Water fixed the pipe quickly.”