MURKY water and low water pressure greeted residents in 16,000 homes across Warrington following the discovery of a burst main in Bewsey.

Householders as far apart as Great Sankey and Woolston awoke on Saturday morning to find they had been affected in one form or other after a 24-inch main ruptured in Charter Lane.

Changes in water flow are believed to be responsible for the discoloured supply, as United Utilities engineers battled to restore the service to customers.

People were forced to buy in supplies of bottled drinking water because of the burst and resulting dirty water, which also affected properties in Birchwood, Padgate and Howley.

James Wilson, aged 25, of Great Sankey, said: "I was just running a bath when I noticed the water was black. And when I emptied it away it left a dark ring around the bath."

A United Utilities spokesman said the company began to receive complaints about the water supply early on Saturday.

The priority for engineers then was to find alternative supplies, from elsewhere in Warrington, while the main was repaired.

"Our engineers worked through the night on Sunday to repair the main, which was quite a difficult job, and the main was repaired in the early hours," said the spokesman.

It is estimated by the utility company that most homes had seen supplies restored by late Saturday though.

The change in water flow could have disturbed sediment in water pipes, resulting in the darker water reported, according to the firm.

"We apologise to anyone affected by the burst but our engineers did work long into the night to resolve the problem," added the spokesman.