Two men narrowly escaped serious injury when a 20-foot garden wall collapsed in front of them on Wakefield Road in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, after a burst water pipe caused a flood. Dramatic video footage captured the moment the wall buckled under the pressure of backed-up water, forcing the men to flee as water surged around nearby vehicles.
Residents Criticise Yorkshire Water's Response Time
Local resident Kris Yates, 45, alleged that the burst pipe was reported to Yorkshire Water at 5am on 20 June, but engineers did not arrive until 9am. Yorkshire Water stated they first became aware of the situation at 6.20am and treated it as a high priority, reaching the location by around 9am. By that time, water had reached the top of the wall, which then collapsed, sending water into adjacent gardens, overturning wheelie bins, and damaging several cars.
Extent of Damage and Financial Impact
Yates, a plasterer, estimated the total damage at between £250,000 and £300,000. He reported that three cars were damaged, including a hybrid that was written off due to its battery being submerged. Garages collapsed, driveways cracked, and approximately 20 homes were affected. One neighbour lost £20,000 worth of koi carp. Yates said: "When the wall went, it was like it happened in slow motion. We definitely didn't expect this to happen – it's a once in a lifetime thing. We're all just upset and shocked."
Criticism of Yorkshire Water's Handling
Yates criticised Yorkshire Water for their slow response, stating: "The serious thing is the delay in actually turning the water off. Yorkshire Water were outside on the front of the houses for about an hour before they got the go ahead to turn the water off. They were saying they weren't sure whether it was Yorkshire Water's pipes or private. Surely in an emergency like that they should just shut it off." He added that the company has not communicated directly with the affected residents.
Yorkshire Water's Response
A Yorkshire Water spokesperson said: "We experienced a burst on our clean water network at Wakefield Road, Barnsley on Saturday, which caused some flooding to nearby properties and gardens. Our team attended the burst as quickly as possible and were able to locate the damaged main and complete a repair. Our customer response team made two separate bottled water drop offs at 19 properties that lost supply. We also had two dedicated customer service representatives on site and our specialist cleaning contractor, Service Master, were also deployed to assist with the clean-up. We understand incidents of this nature are distressing for customers and apologise for the inconvenience caused. We will be working with the customers impacted to assist them in rectifying any damage caused. A case worker has been assigned as a direct contact for affected customers to assist them with any claims or ongoing issues related to the burst."
