STAFF at Fairfield Hospital were left to mop up the children's ward after a hot water pipe burst on Saturday morning.

Firefighters were called around 10.30am after the ceiling in children's ward 11B collapsed under the weight of the water.

A pipe above the suspended ceiling burst earlier in the morning, and the collection of water brought down eight of the ceiling tiles, and flooded the floor of the ward.

Firefighters were called after the water began to leak into an 'insectocutor'. They managed to stem the leak of hot water with a length of pipe, which they then fed through to the toilets in the buildings.

Luckily, the children's day care centre was empty at the time, as it is not used at the weekend.