A family that reported a leak running a quarter of a mile down their road nearly five months ago are still waiting for it to be repaired.

The fed-up Townsend family from the village of Shottenden in Kent, say they even had a hosepipe ban over the summer whilst water ran down their road.

They had been planning to sell their home next year but now fear footing the bill for the damage the leak has caused.

They also worry that, with winter fast approaching, the unfixed leak could become an 'ice rink' and see someone suffer a serious accident.

And though South East Water have been to look at the leak, they are still yet to have stemmed the flow.

David and Jacqui Townsend complain the leak - which they first reported at the end of May has caused them misery and frustration.

Despite their constant complaints to South East Water, their driveway has been severely damaged as the gravel is flushed away by the torrent of flowing water.

Mrs Townsend, 52, says the situation has become a 'joke', saying: "We were put on a hosepipe ban when we had a river running outside. "

"They said we couldn't water our garden but it’s alright because we could have just diverted the stream onto it."

Mr Townsend estimates that the water runs for a quarter of a mile down their street in rural Kent before ending in a large pool at a nearby farm.

"If we had the hose on they would have threatened to fine us," the 60-year-old said. "

"They really need to sort it before it gets colder because you will get more potholes and damage – there will be an accident. "

"It could certainly cause injury in the winter. Then it’s not just unsightly it’s dangerous – there’s no doubt about that."

His wife agreed, saying the road would become 'lethal' once temperatures fall below zero.

Mrs Townsend also worries for her three sons - two of whom have recently started driving with the third currently learning.

"We will literally have an ice rink out there," she said."

"It will be lethal because it's a straight stretch of road which is just covered in standing water. "

"You can see where it straightens out here, so people just put their foot down."

"I worry about my children but people who don’t know about it and speed along will be worse off. "

"Cyclists and walkers use it, too."

This is not the first time burst pipes have disrupted residents living on Shottenden Road, either.

Mrs Townsend claims to have reported more than 200 leaks in the 25 years the family has lived there.

"The pipe is always going," she said. "It needs replacing."

The current leak was first reported to South East Water on May 24 earlier this year and, though small at the time, it has grown considerably since.

There were two smaller leaks alongside it, and the Townsends say they could see water spouting out of the ground.

"We got an email and text message back each time," Mr Townsend said. "A month later a van did turn up."

"[The worker] looked at it and said, ‘We will need to get a permit to close the road off to do it'. "

"More workmen arrived towards the end of September and closed the road off and sprayed some arrows - so we assumed something was going to be done."

"Then at the end of the day, someone just collected all the signs back up."

"That Friday they came back and sprayed some even bigger arrows but did nothing."

A smaller leak was later finally fixed, but the biggest one - which starts at the couple’s drive - continues to flow.

"It's unsightly, it’s annoying, it’s time-consuming and it’s just frustrating more than anything," Mr Townsend said. "

"It was a simple leak that could have been fixed and now it’s got big."

"Our driveway is totally damaged – it’s gouged it away."

"On either side, there are two gullies where it has eroded away. There is a huge pothole at the front too."

The family was planning on potentially selling their home next year, but now worry about how the damage the leak has done to their driveway will affect the sale.

"We want to sell next year and the driveway is going to be a right mess," Mr Townsend said. "

"Do we have to foot the bill to fix it?"

"Why should we have to waste our time complaining time and time again?"

South East Water's distribution manager, Adam Newbury, said the leak would be fixed 'as quickly and safely as possible'.

He said: "After receiving reports of a leak in Shottenden Road, our teams undertook initial investigations in August and attempted a repair on September 22."

"However, it had to be abandoned as the leak was not in the same location as the water."

"Following further investigations, we have now located the source of the leak off a narrow single-track road and repair work is planned to be carried out today."

"We are working to try and repair this leak as quickly and as safely as possible."

"We are sorry for any inconvenience caused by the leak and will look to minimise disruption as much as we can."