THE Environment Agency (EA) says it is investigating the cause of the incident in Alverstone last week, which saw raw sewage spill into a nearby river.

Alverstone Shute was closed on July 6, and remained shut the following day, while workers carried out repairs to a burst wastewater main.

A large response saw Southern Water bring in tankers to maintain water flow, so locals could continue to use their taps.

In a statement released last week, Southern Water said it was working 'closely' with the Environment Agency to minimise the impact to the environment, after what it called a 'wastewater' spill.

A mix of sewage and surface water got into the river.

The utility firm said: “It was a burst to a wastewater main in close proximity to the river, which was reported to the EA immediately.

“The complexities came because of the location of the pipe.

“We stopped the spill very quickly, but some sewage would have got into the river."

The EA confirmed its involvement, and says it is now awaiting a full investigation report on the cause of the incident.