Pig delays repair to burst water main which caused travel chaos - until he is lured away by crisps

It was a scene worthy of The Good Life, as emergency engineers found themselves on a collision course with the eccentricities of south London suburbia.

Efforts to repair a burst water main which yesterday brought chaos to the roads and rail lines in Surbiton - setting of the much-loved BBC sitcom - were thwarted by an unlikely culprit.

A large pig, believed to be a pet named Pickle, blocked the path of a Thames Water repair team as they tried to reach the damaged pipe in a field adjoining residential houses.

It meant the engineers were not immediately able to begin the repair work over fears the “startled” animal would not take kindly to their encroachment on his land.

The situation could hardly have been more urgent. Water from the pipe was blocking one of the busiest rail routes in the country to London Waterloo, affecting thousands of commuters.

Southern Western Railway services were cancelled and delayed due to the problem on the line between Surbiton and Wimbledon, which had also flooded surrounding roads.

A ploy was therefore hatched to ensure the pig at the heart of the drama could be kept a safe distance from the repair team - by using a packet of crisps.

Thames Water said a customer had lured Pickle away from the pipe using the crisps as bait, allowing work to finally get under way.

Pickle was described by a spokesman for the company as a “big boy” weighing around 130kg, who, contrary to initial reports, did not “approach anyone aggressively”.

The farcical incident had echoes of an early episode of The Good Life - which followed a family leading a comically self-sufficient life in Surbiton - featuring two troublesome pigs called Pinky and Perky.

Both South Western Railway and Thames Water were forced to apologise for the disruption caused to road and rail journeys by the burst pipe.

A video of the scene shared by the rail operator showed huge torrents of water cascading down onto the rail track from the road above.

Work on the burst pipe continued throughout the day and the rail route reopened shortly after 4pm on Wednesday, as rush hour was beginning in the capital.

A Network Rail spokesman said: “We are sorry to passengers for today’s disruption into London Waterloo which was caused by a burst water main in Surbiton.”

It is understood the work on the broken pipe will continue into Thursday.

A spokesman for Thames Water said: "We're sorry to anyone who has had a longer journey than normal because of the road closure.

"This is due to a burst on a 48-inch diameter pipe.

"Our engineers were quickly on site and are working hard to fix the pipe."