Watch out! Neighbours on the moment 10ft sinkhole appeared in their street
Dolly Carter
A 10ft sinkhole has formed in Whistlefish Court off Dereham Road - Credit: Dolly Carter
Alarmed neighbours in a Norwich suburb have watched a sinkhole in their road grow by the hour, swallowing concrete to reveal a 10ft crater.
The hole has appeared in Whistlefish Court in NR5 and this morning was merely a crack and some slumped road surfacing.
But by 4pm today the width of one of the lanes in the street had collapsed entirely with a stream of water from a burst pipe spewing out.
Cordoned off by police in the early hours of the afternoon, people living in the NR5 housing estate were concerned it may continue to grow.
David Palmer, 43, who cares for his partner in the adjacent block of flats in Whistlefish Court was watching the scene unfold while sipping a cup of tea.
Nigel Leggett who lives in Whistlefish Court in NR5 couldn't get any water this afternoon - Credit: Dolly Carter
He added a dip in the pavement had been present for at least a month and was frequently mentioned in the ‘Residents of Whistlefish Court’ Facebook group.
He said: “I saw the paving slabs dropping down this morning and rushed out to take a photo.”
Nigel Leggett, 55, who lives nearby, said he'd chosen to watch from the comfort of his own home.
David Palmer, who watched the sinkhole drama unfold in Whistlefish Court - Credit: Dolly Carter
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But to his dismay he found himself without any water.
Anglian Water said: "We've identified a burst water main in the area that we're working hard to get fixed.
"Some customers in Whistlefish Court may have very low water pressure or no water at all."
The water is expected to be back on by 7pm.
Mr Leggett added: “I was standing on that exact spot when I fetched the bins in this morning.
"The ground caved in only half an hour later.”
Also watching the spectacle unfold were Josh Monteiro, 22, and Elina Kondratovica, 21, students from the University of East Anglia.
Josh Monteiro and Elina Kondratovica had an ice cream as they watched the drama unfold - Credit: Dolly Carter
The biochemistry student pair live in one of the student flats nearby and came to watch the sinkhole expanding while enjoying ice cream cones.
Mr Monteiro said he had luckily moved his car from behind the sinkhole but that some neighbours parked further up the street would be unable to get theirs out, as their only exit is on to Dereham Road.
