Landlady Amy Owen has spoken of her frustration and impact on her business
06:00, 11 Sep 2026
The large water leak in Ratby Lane, which is located at the side of the pub.(Image: Coach & Horses)
Severn Trent bosses have apologised after burst pipes forced a Leicestershire village pub to partially close – leading to a ‘substantial loss’ of trade.
Landlady Amy Owen said she had to close the kitchen of the The Coach & Horses – and keep it open just for drinks – following the disruption caused on Wednesday, September 2.
She explained the pub had been full of customers when the water was turned off, saying the disruption had left her out of pocket.
Severn Trent officials said they had to close Ratby Lane due to the nature of the bursts and apologised to the people and businesses in the village affected by the issue.
Ms Owen said: “When water goes off for a pub as big as ours, it’s not just the immediate, ‘Oh the tap won’t turn on’, it’s the loss of trade from closing the kitchen, my coolers run out of water, my ice machine stops working – it affects the business substantially.
“A Severn Trent representative on site [on September 2] told me the water could be off for at least 24 hours and so we prepped from a business perspective.”
The pub, which employs around 25 people, sent chefs home and spread the word online that it had been impacted by the water issues.
About two hours after the water cut off it came back on. The incident left Ms Owen not impressed by Severn Trent’s communication with the business.
Ms Owen said: “The water came back on within a couple of hours – that was almost more frustrating because we closed the kitchen for the day. We couldn’t reopen it completely so we just stayed open for drinks.
“About 10 minutes before the water came back on, Severn Trent left a pre-recorded phone message to say there was an issue and they were working on it.
“To receive a phone call two hours after the water has cut off, to me that’s not an acceptable way of communication. It’s just not good enough.”
Severn Trent have recognised the issues and said that they “fully appreciate” the impact caused.
A spokesperson for the company said: “We’re sorry for the disruption caused on Ratby Lane, which was due to a few burst pipes affecting the local area.
“Due to the nature of the bursts, we closed the road to allow us to repair damage to the highway as quickly as possible.
“We fully appreciate that this would have caused delays for people locally. We have now completed our work in the area and the road has returned to normal.
“While we carried out repairs, we made customers aware they may experience potential intermittent supply issues and lower pressure and we’re sorry to anyone who has been inconvenienced by that.”
Leicestershire County Council also addressed the situation, and said it will continue to work with Severn Trent to help “manage the impact” on residents, businesses and road users.
A county council spokesperson said: “We know this disruption has been frustrating and we thank residents, businesses and road users for their patience while Severn Trent Water carried out their essential repairs.
“As the situation developed and issues arose, traffic management arrangements were reviewed to help reduce disruption.
“Leicestershire County Council works with Severn Trent Water and other utility companies to coordinate works on the highway network.
“We will continue to work with Severn Trent Water to help manage the impact on residents, businesses and road users.”
