A HOMEOWNER raced back from work to find his drive flooded after a burst water main caused havoc in Cradley Heath today (Wednesday).

Steve Bridgwater, of Forge Lane, was called by his neighbour Paul Adlam after a water main burst outside nearby Cradley Heath train station at around 11am this morning, with the ferocity of the water cracking the road surface.

The water gushed down the road "like a river", flooding 51-year-old Steve's front garden as well as the overflow car park opposite the train station.

Steve, who is married with three children, said: "My neighbour called me at work and I rushed straight back.

"It was like a river coming down the road.

"It was a bit of a shock to come back to all this.

"We put makeshift sand bags out to try to stop the flow.

"I haven't been inside yet, so I don't know if the water has gone into the house, the carpet looks ok through the window.

"The insurance company is sending someone out to look at it."

Steve works at engineering firm Glassworks Hounsell in Park Lane, Halesowen, so didn't have far to rush home.

Steve's neighbour Paul Adlam, who is a builder, set up a pump to divert the water away from his and Steve's drives.

The married father of two said: "I was on the phone and I could hear water running, I thought I'd got a burst water pipe.

"The water was running through Steve's air vent and through the air vent at the front of my house.

"I pumped some of the water away. We don't know what it's like inside yet as we haven't been in.

"The road is all cracked and lifted up."

The water leak was stopped by South Staffordshire Water and the road was running normally at around noon as workmen were on site.

Residents in Cradley Heath are currently experiencing low water pressure or no water at all due to the burst.

Homes in Netherton are also understood to be affected.