A survey is currently being organised see if there are other vulnerable areas to sinkholes around Fontmell Close.

The survey is being organised by the county council and homeowners in the street, who have not returned to their homes since the ground collapsed yesterday morning, will be notified when results are in.

On Wednesday, before the collapse of the sinkhole, a hole in the road was reported after somebody's foot became stuck in it.

Rob Smith, deputy director for environment at Hertfordshire County Council, said the council responded to it immediately.

Responding to allegations that the council had known about the sinkhole and left it, Mr Smith said: "The hole was reported on Wednesday and we were going to fill it in the following day.

"We we heard about the hole on Wednesday, in an hour we had it fenced off.

"No one could have foreseen what happened."

St Albans District Council has set up a resilience team for the evacuees, which is made up of officers from the county council, the fire and police services and statutory services like electricity and water.

Mr Smith said: "We're doing all we can to keep people safe, and houses safe, and getting people back in their homes.

"So what we're doing is filling up that hole with foam concrete and that will take a few days."

Many of the residents in the area have claimed the cause of the sinkhole is due to houses being built on the site of an old brickworks where clay had been dug out for construction.

Responding to this, Mr Smith said: "I can see why people have thought this, but at the moment we don't know what caused it."

Hertfordshire County Council have released footage of the sinkhole as it currently is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzycU_ggFrs&feature=youtu.be.