AS the weather is now well and truly freezing, concerns have been raised about water leaks turning to ice and becoming dangerous.

Severn Trent Water, which has a network of pipes that stretch around the world, is asking its Wyre Forest customers to help their detectors find them.

Malcolm Whittaker, who has been finding and fixing leaks across Worcestershire for 29 years, said: “We take leakage very seriously and we want to bring leakage levels down as much as possible so that water isn’t wasted.

“This is particularly important when it’s cold as leaks can turn to ice and become very dangerous to the public.

“Engineers like me work day and night finding and fixing leaks and bursts, however we recognise that with such a huge network of pipes to look after, there may be some leaks that are still out there that we don’t know about.”

The water company has said that each leak or burst is repaired on a priority basis.

Malcolm added: “Providing our customers with a continuous supply of water is a priority for us so we’ll always fix these leaks first and then focus on others, but those that could become a hazard are also prioritised.

“So please give a good description of the leak when you report it so that we can get to the most urgent first.”

For more information, or to report a water leak, visit stwater.co.uk/reportaleak or call Leakline on 0800 783 444.