SHOPKEEPERS were glad to see the back of roadworks this week after a burst water main left them battling with a “river” running down their street for three weeks. It wasn’t called West Ferry Road’ for nothing as Isle of Dogs store owners helped shoppers wade across the street—it was beginning to feel more like the Isle of Dog-paddle’!

By Ben Homewood and Anastasia Aboim

SHOPKEEPERS were glad to see the back of roadworks this week after a burst water main in East London left them battling with a “river” running down their street for three weeks.

It wasn’t called West Ferry Road’ for nothing as Isle of Dogs store owners helped shoppers wade across the street—it was beginning to feel more like the Isle of Dog-paddle’!

“It has affected my business badly,” stormed Zabed Chowdhury, 40, assistant manager of Westferry Metro corner store. “The burst water main was bad enough, but it was hard to unload stock with the roadworks afterwards.”

FINALLY PLUGGED

Roadworks finally finished on Friday, a week after the leak was plugged and four weeks after the mains burst in the first place.

Tower Hamlets councillor Tim Archer, who represents the deluged island at the Town Hall, said: “I am flabbergasted that in this day and age Thames Water is prepared to let a river form in the middle of a main road.

“What started as a trickle became a ford. I am unimpressed that it took so long to sort out.”

Even when the leak was sealed, repairs to the road surface took another week.

That meant no-one could use the D8 bus-stop for the fourth week running—or not running.

FINGER WAGGING

London Assembly member John Biggs joined the fray, wagging his finger at City Hall transport bosses to put pressure on the water authority to put pressure back in the mains and get things running like water.

“Passengers have been messed around quite enough,” he told them. “A temporary stop should have been put in place, but London Buses apparently couldn’t even provide information for passengers.”

Thames Water apologised for the “unfortunate delay” in repairs to the leakage, but insisted that cutting off the mains any earlier would have left households without running water.