Moment water shoots into the air as 'vandals' set off fire hydrant on busy Manchester road

Water has been shooting into the air on a busy east Manchester road after a fire hydrant was set off on the city's hottest day on record. Police and United Utilities engineers have been called out to Hyde Road, in Gorton, this evening (July 19) as the bustling carriageway was being covered in water.

It comes just 24 hours after another fire hydrant was set off in Salford, as well as one in Huyton, Merseyside. The sudden loss of large volumes of water resulted in some homes in the area, on one of the hottest nights on record, having no water - while tap water was discoloured for other residents.

United Utilities says incidents like this are on the rise amid the ongoing heatwave, and vandals are adding to the drain on its resources by tampering with fire hydrants and abusing engineers. The company says it is working hard to make sure there is enough water to meet soaring demand - and incidents like this don't help.

READ MORE: Greater Manchester temperatures set to almost HALVE after another record-breaking day

Phil Sweeney, head of central operations at United Utilities, said: “Fire hydrant abuse is not harmless fun - it is dangerous, costly, and an incredible waste of water, especially during times of high demand. Those who vandalise hydrants are not only putting themselves at risk of injury from highly pressurised water, they are also impacting our ability to keep water flowing to homes, businesses, hospitals and vulnerable customers.

“Ultimately, this type of abuse could impact on the fire service’s ability to tackle a blaze, whether at a property or on moorland, and put lives at risk.” Fire hydrants are found on most streets, allowing emergency access to water supplies.

By tampering with them and letting water