STUDENTS were evacuated from a University of Chester halls of residence when a burst pipe sent water gushing through light fittings.

The female occupants of John Milton Hall in Liverpool Road were left holding bags of belongings outside the ex-Plantation Inn hotel as the emergency services made the building safe.

One 19-year-old resident described waking up just after 9am on Wednesday to find inches of water on the floor of her room before the building, attached to the Chester Business School, was cleared by university staff.

Speaking afterwards, another student, who asked not to be identified, said: 'Water was coming through the light fittings and down the walls.

'The ceilings in a couple of rooms collapsed. They haven't told us where we can go yet. I've still got a lot of stuff inside my room but I am not clear whether it's safe to go in.'

Following an inspection by fire crews a few hours later, communications student Caroline McKrell, 19, said lack of information had left her confused about what to do next.

She said: 'The fire service said that because of the ceilings it might be structurally unsound, but then we're being told it's OK to go back in. I want to get my stuff, but not if it isn't safe.'

Graham Fairlie, director of services at the university, said: 'Working with Cheshire Fire Service and our own health and safety advisers, we evacuated all students living in the premises as a precautionary measure until Saturday.

'Some have chosen to return home and others have been temporarily rehoused elsewhere in the university or with friends.

'The leak was as a result of a fitting on a water pipe becoming loose and was not connected to the recent heavy rainfall. A plumber has since carried out repairs to the pipe fitting and heaters are being used to dry out the facilities.'

A spokesman for Cheshire fire brigade said: 'We checked the building over and made sure it was safe, and there was little else we could do at that point.

'The building was evacuated and the rooms damaged would have been unsuitable for habitation, but not necessarily structurally unsound.'

University communications officer Jayne Dodgson said: 'There is no suggestion that the building is unsound. The rooms that have been affected will require more time to fix but the majority of the building was untouched.'