Residents are still getting water from tanks and stand pipes

Up to 4,000 homes around Southwark, including East Dulwich and Peckham, are still without water as Thames Water engineers attempt to fix the problem.

Pupils from three schools across Southwark were sent home on Monday and some businesses have had to close.

Although stand pipes and bottled water have been brought in to some of the affected areas, many residents say they have heard nothing from the company.

June Dunkin suffers from asthma and is unable to leave her flat.

She said: "I think it is disgusting, why should it happen now?

Some businesses have had to close for the day

"First we had no electricity, a blackout, and now we have got not water. What is coming next?"

Another woman told BBC London: "People are angry because if you live in Peckham, near the Old Kent Road, you have got to come up to Dulwich or the top of Peckham to get water.

"There are no stand pipes, no nothing at the bottom of Peckham."

Thames Water admits its contingency plans did not work properly.

Spokesman Jerry England told BBC London: "We had three mains go over the weekend and one before that on Friday, which we repaired on Friday.

"But they are very deep mains and because of the complexity of the network it is taking quite a long time to isolate them, but now the repair is ongoing."