A MAINS pipe burst - flooding a secondary school's sixth form centre and leaving properties in the area without water.

Water flowed into Thornleigh Salesian College's Sixth Form Centre after a pipe in Moss Lea – close to the school – burst on Wednesday afternoon, shortly before the school was closing for the day.

The centre was flooded damaging up to six classrooms - while water also flowed on to the school yard.

Properties in the immediate area were left without water for one hour as the pipe was shut off to stop the flood.

Water supplies were diverted while the pipe was repaired.

No other properties are thought to have been flooded.

Firefighters were alerted and spent more than five hours mounting a clear-up operation at the Astley Bridge school.

The school also staged a "big clean" the next day.

Staff were in first thing yesterday to continue the huge clean-up operation so classes could resume as normal.

Lessons were not affected by the drama.

Headteacher Alison Burrowes said: " A mains water pipe on Moss Lea burst around 3pm and the water entered parts of the Sixth Form Centre and onto the school yard.

"The fire brigade worked until 10pm to help redirect the flow of water and protect the rest of the school."

She praised the different agencies involved in containing the water and the damage.

Mrs Burrowes added: "Bolton Council supported the operation and United Utilities worked until the early hours of the morning to cap the pipe. Everyone involved were brilliant."

She added: "This morning our cleaning staff and canteen staff arrived from 6am and started the big clean.

"I was overwhelmed by the support and hard work of the staff here at Thornleigh Salesian College and I want to thank them sincerely for the way in which they worked together to ensure that the school could stay open.

"Fortunately, we have half term coming up which means that we can repair the damage that has been caused."

United Utilities said they were working with the school in the aftermath of the flooding.

A spokesman from United Utilities said: “Our engineers switched off the main and diverted water supplies through other parts of the network.

"Some customers in the BL1 area had no water for around an hour from 7.30pm during this operation. "We completed the repairs to the pipe overnight and we are liaising with the college to make sure they have all the help and assistance they need in recovering the flood damage."

Firefighters were on the scene for five-and-a-half hours.

An officer from Bolton Council’s highways department attended the school after the authority was alerted by the fire service.

They spoke to the site manager offering assistance until United Utilities arrived.