The impact of a Newcastle sinkhole

Ash Holman, manager of the Boat and Horses in Newcastle-under-Lyme, on the issues caused by a recent sinkhole.

The BBC has approached Staffordshire County Council for a statement:
Patrick Allen, Cabinet Support Member for Highways at Staffordshire County Council, said: “What was initially believed to be a small, localised defect is actually a significant void under the road surface.
“We have attempted to repair the road having been assured by Severn Trent Water that their services were not the cause. As a result, concrete has entered their services and chambers and now works are again suspended while we liaise with them on the cause of the problem and the underlying issues with their services.
“The works are being prioritised and once a solution can be found, it will be programmed in for delivery. The road will remain closed until the investigations and repairs are completed to keep the area safe and We thank people for their co-operation.”

The BBC has approached Severn Trent for a statement:
A Severn Trent spokesperson said: “We’re carrying on our investigations to understand how much concrete has entered our network and why. To do this we will need to remove a lot of the concrete already set around our sewer which makes this work more complicated than usual.
“Only having taken over at the site today, we want to reassure everyone we’re working as quickly as possible to return the area to normal. We’ll also be contacting any businesses impacted by the closure now we have taken control of the site.”