The flooding of Queen’s Drive in north London is a damming indictment of the privatised water industry.

Over 100 homes have been damaged, with people evacuated, across the boroughs of Islington and Hackney.

A Thames Water pipe burst at around 7.45am on Tuesday, 8 October, turning the street into a torrent for most of the day.

While the company made over £300 million in profit over the last two years, London’s ageing infrastructure is not up to scratch.

Fire and council services helped people throughout the day, despite inadequate resources, but Thames Water’s deluge of half truths angered many residents.

At the very least, Thames Water must pay the full cost for the damages.

Water privatisation has been a disaster for people. The councils of Hackney and Islington should publicly come out in favour of bringing water back into public ownership.