A water main burst outside Swiss Cottage Underground station this afternoon, closing the southbound lane in Finchley Road.

Repairs to the 15-inch water pipe will cause days of disruption in Finchley Road while Thames Water carry out the works.

The utility company will have to dig down to fix the pipe, refill it with concrete, leave the concrete to set for 24 hours and then re-tarmac the road.

The southbound lane of Finchley Road has been closed this afternoon while Thames Water carry out emergency repair works to prevent any leaking into Swiss Cottage Tube station.

But Thames Water says it may have to close the northbound lane as well.

Engineers will work overnight to make the repairs.

A spokesperson for Thames Water said: “We are carrying out emergency repairs to a burst 15-inch water main outside Swiss Cottage station.

“Some traffic lanes in Finchley Road have been closed to allow us to dig down to the pipe.

“We are very sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.”