EXCAVATION works are due to start next week to identify the cause of a huge sinkhole in Reading.

The sinkhole on Castle Hill appeared earlier this week (June 16) following heavy rainfall.

Pictures show the surface of the road has cracked open to reveal a huge hole, where just moments before water was spotted gushing out of the road surface.

READ MORE: Reading Borough Council working with Thames Water to determine cause of sinkhole in road.

A spokesperson for Reading Borough Council said: “Thames Water has completed initial surveys of its apparatus and the Council’s highway team will be carrying out an exploratory excavation to try to identify the cause next week, starting on Monday.”

They added that the site remains barriered off in the meantime.

Thames Water carried out an investigation and found the pipes underneath the road appeared to be intact.

The water company added: “Following inspections at the site, we established there are no issues with either our clean water or sewage pipes that would have caused the sinkhole.”