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Flood stops Regent Street stores trading Flood stops Regent Street stores trading
(about 2 hours later)
A flood in central London has shut one of the city's busiest shopping streets.A flood in central London has shut one of the city's busiest shopping streets.
Regent Street was closed to traffic between Conduit Street and Piccadilly Circus at about 12:45 GMT.Regent Street was closed to traffic between Conduit Street and Piccadilly Circus at about 12:45 GMT.
Up to 15 shops were also blocked off by a cordon set up by firefighters, who were attempting to pump water away after the burst near Vigo Street.Up to 15 shops were also blocked off by a cordon set up by firefighters, who were attempting to pump water away after the burst near Vigo Street.
A spokesman for Thames Water apologised for the disruption and said engineers were working to repair the problem.A spokesman for Thames Water apologised for the disruption and said engineers were working to repair the problem.
A spokesman for New West End Company, which represents businesses in Regent Street, originally said up to 15 stores were unable to trade, but then said seven or eight. Engineers later stopped the water flowing, isolating the main.
Alex Cousins, on a day trip to London from Sevenoaks, Kent, had intended to visit clothing store Superdry which is among those closed off. A spokesman for New West End Company, which represents businesses in Regent Street, said some shops had been able to re-open as the cordoned off area was reduced.
By about 14:00 GMT seven or eight shops were not trading, he said.
The cause of the rupture is not known.
The spokesman said traffic management would likely be in place for at least two days but that businesses were expecting to open normally on Sunday.
Alex Cousins, on a day trip to London from Sevenoaks, Kent, had intended to visit clothing store Superdry which was among those closed off earlier.
'Road exploded'
He said: "It looks like the road exploded."He said: "It looks like the road exploded."
Other shops affected include Zara, Mango, Burberry, Austin Reed and Uniqlo. Other shops affected included Zara, Mango, Burberry, Austin Reed and Uniqlo.
Eleven bus routes have also been diverted. Bus routes have also been diverted.
Over 7.5 million tourists visit the street per year, according to New West End Company.Over 7.5 million tourists visit the street per year, according to New West End Company.
Martin Low, Westminster City Council's commissioner of transportation, said: "We have asked Thames Water for details of the age and condition of the pipework to see if this failure could have been predicted."
In January last year, a section of nearby Oxford Street had to be closed when a burst main flooded several shops resulting in damage of an estimated £1m.