Flood victims are this morning waking up in emergency accommodation after millions of litres of water devastated a community on the edge of Oxford.

Homes were flooded, cars damaged and pets drowned after a 24-inch wide water main burst in South Hinksey just before 7am.

Villagers were evacuated and others reported being trapped in their own homes by the floodwater.

Last night the clean-up operation was well under way with mud being swept up, water pumped away and a temporary road built.

Eight homes were flooded and three households were last night put up by Thames Water in a local hotel.

The village was still sealed off to traffic as the Oxford Mail went to press last night.

Thirty-five firefighters were called to the scene in Manor Road at 6.55am and within an hour the water was up to three-feet deep and covered half a square mile.

Thames Water turned the supply off at about 9am and the water began draining away.

Emergency crews wearing dry suits guided locals through the flooded village and firefighters used a rescue boat to help people to safety.

Manor Road resident Fiona Leafe, 47, said: “It was horrific.

“I got out of bed, glanced out of my window and noticed water coming down the drive from nowhere.

“Half-an-hour later we had about three feet of water in the house.”

She added: “I feel frustrated given that Thames Water was informed by 7am and the pipe wasn’t switched off until 9am.”

Parish council chairman Maggie Rawcliffe said the villagers would work together to get through the crisis.

She said: “The village will rally together to get through this and the parish council will help coordinate the clean-up. Some of the people who have had to leave their houses have been taken in by neighbours.”

At one stage about 2,500 homes were without water as the burst main meant villages including Kennington and Radley were also deprived of their supply.

Supply was completely restored by around midday but it is likely to take about four days for repairs to the road – which was damaged by the water – to be finished.

Oxfordshire County Council last night constructed an artificial road allowing people to get into the village and sent 2,000 sandbags to the scene.

Thames Water supplied residents with crates of bottled water which were being stored in the village hall.

Nigel Membury, Thames Water’s regional manager, said: “Obviously we are very sorry for all the disruption this has caused.

“This pipe transports water across Oxfordshire.

“Our loss adjuster will work with the residents to sort out any accommodation issues.”

At this stage the company believes the burst main was down to the age of the pipe.

Mr Membury added that it had taken Thames Water longer than expected to shut down the water supply because of the distance between the valves which needed to be closed.

As well as the fire service and Thames Water, the incident was attended by the Red Cross, the Environment Agency and workers from the county council.

In January 2007, flood water up to 1.5 metres deep poured into about 30 homes in Normandy Crescent, Cowley, after a water main burst in the middle of the night.

Seventeen families were left homeless for weeks.