Winchester MP Steve Brine has been hearing the causes of the "total nightmare" cuts to water supply to thousands of homes just before Christmas.

He met Lawrence Gosden, chief executive of Southern Water, at a city centre cafe on Friday.

Mr Brine had called the meeting to throw light on the lack of water in part of his constituency and what work is going on to avoid a repeat.

Supplies were completely turned off across parts of Chandler's Ford, Hursley, Twyford and Otterbourne as well as Badger Farm for as long as two days in places.

The company explained how December's big freeze - followed by a rapid thaw - led to burst pipes and among customers which drained reservoirs rapidly. The company claims to have fixed 15m litres of leaks on its own network alone in a 48-hour period.

READ MORE HERE: Water supply restrictions across district

The issue was compounded by heavy rain into the water supply works at Otterbourne (and Testwood) which seriously impeded the ability to create new water fit for consumption.

Mr Brine heard how a major piece of work - worth £800m - is underway at both locations to upgrade them to mitigate similar issues in future. He said he would be visiting the Otterbourne site shortly to see progress.

The MP also raised the issue of combined storm overflows which can force sewage and other foul water out of the Southern Water system into waterways and coastal waters. He will this month visit Southern Water's 'Pathfinder' site near Andover which is part of the investment required by the recently passed Environment Act to end the practice whereby storm waters combine with foul water in the same system and overflow to prevent waste water being forced up into homes.

Mr Brine also raised the issue, recently reported in the Hampshire Chronicle, of a leak at Brambridge near Otterbourne which is reportedly seeing sewage escape through a manhole cover into the road and nearby River Itchen. "This needs sorting urgently, no excuses, just sorting out," he said after the meeting.

Speaking after the meeting, Mr Brine said: "The supply issues that affected a number of my constituents in Christmas week were a total nightmare and, while I understand a perfect storm of events made it unavoidable in part, needed to understand on their behalf how we got to a position where people were queuing for bottled water to flush their toilets and do many other basic households tasks just a few days before Christmas.

"Mr Gosden told me Southern Water will shortly be writing to affected customers with their full explanation as to what happened - and why - alongside details of compensation due. That needs to take place without delay as I made clear at our meeting.

SEE MORE: Sewage flows into River Itchen at Brambridge

"The investment at Otterbourne, and Testwood, sounds important and needs to get online as soon as possible. I shall be visiting to see progress as soon as possible.

"Finally, I raised the urgent matter of a possible sewage leak at Brambridge and have asked for an urgent report so we can assess whether it's been dealt with and, if not, when it will be."

The meeting also covered the impact of December's supply issue on priority vulnerable customers, key infrastructure such as Winchester Hospital and business customers including farms who were left in a serious situation with no water to give to livestock. Mr Brine said he will be raising with DEFRA Ministers a system whereby water companies are not directly responsible for supply to business customers.

Farms, and all business customers, receive water from companies like Southern as the wholesaler but a third party retailer handles the customer relationship in a system the MP said was "fractured and unaccountable".