A major water main burst near the iconic Fine Lady on a White Horse statue at Banbury Cross, Oxfordshire, yesterday evening (28 May), sending a powerful water jet onto the road and soaking passing vehicles. Thames Water quickly shut off the flow by 10pm, but the incident forced West Bar Street’s closure as engineers worked to repair the damage.
Iconic Landmark Soaked
The water main explosion occurred beside the world-famous Banbury Cross statue, which celebrates a beloved nursery rhyme. The sudden geyser showered debris across the road, creating chaos for drivers and pedestrians near the town centre.
Local Eyewitness Reacts
Resident Zowie Stokes, who witnessed the event, said: “UK heatwave, even God said, ‘Cool down’, and blew up the road for cold water.” His comment highlighted the strain the heatwave has put on local infrastructure.
Thames Water Response
Thames Water issued an apology for the disruption, confirming six homes lost their water supply temporarily. A customer representative is visiting residents affected by the outage. Repairs are ongoing, and the road remains closed at the junction with the Banbury Cross roundabout.
Council Demands Answers
Councillor Fiaz Ahmed, representing Banbury Cross and Neithrop, expressed frustration over repeated water main failures. He said: “This is the second time we have had a catastrophic water main failure in the centre of Banbury. What are Thames Water doing about this?”
