UNITED Utilities have apologised for two separate pipe bursts that shut off water in Winsford, causing traffic chaos and school closures.

The company say the two incidents – both occurring in the A54 Oakmere Road area – were a ‘coincidence’ and the affected pipes are not connected.

Homes, schools and businesses across the CW7 postcode were left without water for most of the day from around 5am on Wednesday, October 8.

The incident followed a separate burst water pipe that United Utilities were working to fix outside the Police HQ the previous week.

A United Utilities spokesman said: “It looks like a complete coincidence. The two bursts occurred on pipes that weren’t connected.

“The first burst was beneath Oakmere Road on a nine inch pipe. The second was on a 12 inch pipe beneath a grass verge.

“It’s very unusual for us to get two bursts in the same area.

“We would like to offer our apologies to the people of Winsford. We appreciate that this was a big disruption.

“Our engineers worked as fast as they could, but we know that even a small delay can be very frustrating.”

Pupils at the Winsford Academy were sent home following the second burst. Willow Wood Primary, Over St John’s Primary and St Chad's Primary were also affected.

Water was also off at the Cheshire West and Chester Offices in Wyvern House, while residents across the town were left without a supply or extremely low water pressure.

The A54 Oakmere Road was closed from Over Square roundabout to Woodford Lane Industrial Estate.

As per the previous burst, a diversion is in place via the B5074 Delamere Street, but motorists once again faced long delays.

On Facebook, a spokesman for Physiotherapy Clinics Cheshire, based in Swanlow Lane, said: “Chaos! We had no water in our clinic and all our patients were late due to the slow traffic and road closures.”