Holes, which have appeared in the roads in and around St Albans, will not be subject to added county council scrutiny following the emergence of a 20 metre sinkhole in the city yesterday morning, according to the community safety executive.

Herts Advertiser: Close-up photos of the sinkhole in Fontmell Close, off the top of Seymore Road in St Albans, which appeared at 1am on October 1Close-up photos of the sinkhole in Fontmell Close, off the top of Seymore Road in St Albans, which appeared at 1am on October 1 (Image: Photo provided)

When asked whether St Albans’ many sinkhole-like highway divots would be examined more closely, Richard Thake said: “In all honesty, no. This is a very, very unusual and very rare thing.

“There’s been a suggestion that it might be an ancient mine of some sort, a flint mine or something of that nature. Or it might well that part of this area was at one time a rubbish dump.

“These things are often apocryphal, often urban myths. We will carry out a complete investigation to work out what’s gone wrong.”

Mr Thake told the Herts Advertiser that the number one priority was the safety of the residents, but conceded: “It’s too early to speculate how soon people may be able to get back into their homes, or even if they are going to be allowed back into their homes.”