Water shot 20 feet into the air above Brixton High Street between 0800 GMT and 1100 GMT, when engineers isolated the mains pipe.

A Thames Water spokesman said recent freezing temperatures were probably to blame for the leak.

The spokesman said there had been no reports of homes being flooded and water supplies were reconnected around lunchtime.

It was feared earlier the affected pipe was a large 24 inch pipe but fortunately it was a smaller six inch main, the spokesman added.

North-bound traffic on the A23 was restricted to just one lane.

Police and firefighters attended the scene.