'Sinkhole' opens outside Breightmet primary school — road 'looks like it's going to collapse'

Greenroyd Avenue in Breightmet is partially closed amid reports of the sinkhole. The road has been shut at the top of the hill, outside St Catherine's Academy's primary school.

The tarmac is cracked all the way along the road. One eyewitness said: "It's a road that looks like it's going to collapse."

Early indications for the road collapse suggest a damaged sewer, say United Utilities.

Eve Sandiford lives in Greenroyd Avenue next door to St Catherines Academy and saw the ground beginning to give way.

She said: "When the storm hit on Sunday there was a lot of sleet and hailstones and then a really big downpour of rain.

"The grids in the road were all flooding and it looked like the water got under the tarmac and pushed it up."

"It's really unstable underneath, they will have to sort it out soon though. It's really busy here in the mornings because of the school and it's going to be a nightmare if they don't get it open."

"It was really weird."

"There have been people driving up and down over the hole for the last 2 days. It's lucky they've shut it so nothing bad happens."

United Utilities say they are investigating.

A spokesman for United Utilities said: "Our engineers are currently onsite at Greenroyd Avenue, Bolton investigating the cause of the road collapse.

"Early indications are that it hasn't been caused by a damaged sewer but we'll know more once their survey is complete."

St Catherine's Academy is telling parents to avoid the closure and to approach the primary school from the bottom of the hill instead.

United Utilities has told Bolton Council that there was a blockage in an underground pipe and water has come up through the tarmac, instead of through the gulleys or manholes.

United Utilities are currently dealing with the siltation, according to the council.