A water hydrant has leaked almost 40,000 litres in the last four months, it has been estimated.

The bollard, on the junction of Pepys Road and Cottenham Road, west Wimbledon, has been leaking a stream of water along the residential road since late December 2012.

With water escaping at an estimated rate of two pints every five minutes, over a four-month period 69,120 pints or almost 40,000 litres would have been unnecessarily wasted.

Residents have also complained the winter made the water flowing down the street very icy.

Jo Hughes, who said she reported the problem to Thames Water at least five times, said: “The whole of the street had frozen water and ice down it because this water had been running down it for so long.

“All through that time it was really hazardous.

“My son’s school is around the corner so a lot of parents have been concerned.

“There is a little river running constantly and it is such a waste of water.

“Over the course of a few minutes you are talking a couple of pints. It is outrageous that they have just left it like this.

“It’s a very precious resource and it is up to us to let them know about it, which we have done and they have just ignored us.”

A spokesman for Thames Water said the company was only informed of the leak on April 10.

An initial repair to fix the pipe had failed but engineers had since returned to repair it.