Maidenhead & Windsor

The Maidenhead Royal Borough streetcare and highways officers acted swiftly to make safe an area at the top of Maidenhead High Street this morning (Thursday May 17) after a 26ft deep hole appeared near the Boy and the Boat statue.

The 3ft x 3ft hole was discovered by staff from borough waste contractors Veolia who alerted the council’s emergency out-of-hours service just after 7am.

A Maidenhead streetcare officer sped to the scene to assess the damage and the area around the hole was barriered off and covered over. The council’s building control service was called in to inspect the extent of the problem to ensure nearby premises were not affected, and police and gas company officials also attended.

Stephen Brown, head of Maidenhead highways and engineering, said: “We are not yet sure what caused the collapse but we think it may have been the site of an old well. We need to access the situation carefully before making any decision about a permanent solution.”

The incident has not disrupted pedestrian access to the town centre from the King Street direction and the Italian market, due in the town centre on Friday and Saturday, will go ahead as planned.

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead