Sewage water has been gushing out of a manhole in a St Albans street, forcing passers-by to jump out of the way.

Two leaks have been spotted near the railway bridge in London Road, spilling large amounts of water onto the street.

County councillor Chris White, who lives nearby, has hit out at Thames Water for not fixing the problem sooner.

He said: "There is foul running water over hundreds of metres and roadside puddles.

"Those trying to get to work are having to pause and then sprint past the puddles in order to avoid being splashed from head to toe.

"The road is crumbling around the manhole because [Thames Water] have failed to deal with the problem.

"There is something seriously wrong here."

The councillor is also concerned that the freezing temperatures may cause the water to freeze over.

Francis Egleton, a spokesman from Thames Water, said: "We have been monitoring the manholes in London Road following reports of flooding but have so far not been able to find any cause.

"However, our engineers are going back out today to assess the situation and we already have a meeting planned with the local authority on Friday to discuss the problem.

"We will try and get this resolved as soon as we can."