A BURST water main has affected homes near Carlisle.

United Utilities say the incident was reported in Boothby today at 3.14pm.

Home in the CA6 and CA8 postcode areas - such as Longtown, Brampton, Greenhead and Gilsland - have been affected.

This may mean households have no water or it’s coming out the tap as a trickle.

A spokesman for United Utilities said: "We have sent a team of engineers to fix it and, in the meantime, an alternative supply vehicle is on the way to pump into the local network so supplies can be returned to normal as soon as possible.

"Some customers may notice a little temporary discolouration to their water.

"This is not unusual after a burst which can stir up some naturally occurring sediment in the pipes.

"Customers do not need to take any action and they can continue to use the water as normal.

"we are very sorry for any inconvenience this causes customers and we thank them for their patience."