Nicola and Damian Styles, 46 and 44, live on Godstone High Street and said they were woken up by police knocking on their door at about half past midnight on Tuesday morning, who told them to evacuate their home because there was a risk of a gas explosion.
Carl Bussey, Surrey County council assistant director for Safer Communities and chairman of the Strategic Co-ordination Group for the incident, said on Tuesday night: “We are working together with emergency services and utility companies, as well as our highways colleagues and Tandridge District Council, to protect the public and property in the area.
SES Water said one of its water main pipes had burst on the street, and packs of water bottles were distributed to locals on Tuesday night as their homes were left without running water.
Kevin Boll, 62, who lives on one end of High Street, said he stayed up until 1am on Tuesday waiting for an update after police told him he may have to evacuate his home.
Alan and Tracey Jones, 75 and 61, who live on Godstone High Street, took in their daughter, her husband, and their baby girl at midnight on Tuesday after police told them to evacuate their flat across the road, whose building now stands on the edge of the sinkhole.
