Horrified residents have a gaping sinkhole on their doorsteps.

The hole, about 6ft by 9ft wide and about 6ft to 8ft deep, is in Rolfe Lane in New Romney.

It had widened since it first appeared a couple of weeks ago and caused havoc in the road, with nearby gardens being flooded with sewage.

Resident Yvonne Carter, 74, said: “It is frightening. It is right outside my house and I’m at my wit’s end.

“At first was only 3ft wide with just a 1ft deep indentation. Water mains have since burst and two houses have been flooded.”

The hole first appeared on October 29 and Mrs Carter says that the ground had a deep collapse last Thursday .

Next door neighbour Jenny Ross, 30, said: “The road has been disappearing at an alarming rate.

"The road has been disappearing at an alarming rate" - Jenny Ross

“It started with a water leak and has got worse over the last two weeks. The road continues to give way.

“We now have exposed gas pipes, the sewage pipes have been damaged and now the sewage pumps have stopped working due to sand and gravel getting into them.

“Locals gardens have been flooded with sewage and we have tankers pumping the drains day and night.”

Mrs Ross says that the road has become so weak and dangerous that the pumping lorries cannot get close to the hole. They are now pumping through drains further down the road.

A spokesman for Affinity Water said: “On October 31 the appearance of a sinkhole in Rolfe Lane, New Romney was reported to Affinity Water. Subsequently bursts occurred in a nearby water main.

“These were repaired on the day. Supplies to around 35 properties were disrupted and we apologise to customers for any inconvenience caused.

“We will continue to work with Kent County Council Highways and Southern Water, in investigating the cause of the subsidence, which led to the main bursts.”

A Southern Water spokesman said: “We are working with KCC and Affinity Water to deal with the issues in Rolfe Lane, and ease the impact on customers.

“The subsidence and burst water main appear to have had a knock-on effect on our sewer network, causing temporary problems at our pumping stations.

“We are using tankers to transport wastewater to a nearby treatment works, which means customers can still use their services like toilets, washing machines and showers while the pumping stations are out of action.”