LUNCHTIME shoppers could have to wait more than one hour for Marks and Spencer in St Peter’s Street to reopen after it had to evacuate staff and customers due to a flood.

A fire crew from St Albans was called to attend the department store at 11.40am when a valve came off in a sprinkler room during routine maintenance.

The leak has been stopped but firefighters on the scene said this could close the shop for one or two hours.