A NORTH Belfast school has been forced to close today due to a burst pipe on the Limestone Road.

Holy Family Primary School and Nursery unit are asking parents to collect their children from the front entrance of the school this afternoon.

Principal Siobhan McQuaid said the burst pipe meant the school had no water for the toilets. 

"This is a health and safety issue," she said. 

Sinn Féin councillor Conor Maskey says workers are on site and he expects the issue to be resolved later this afternoon.

"The Roads service have moved quickly and are on site making safe and starting to fix - thanks for that!," he wrote on Twitter.

"I am aware that shops and homes experiencing water pressure issues. I am told that will be sorted by 2pm today."

In a statement, NI Water said: "NI Water is carrying out emergency repair work to a burst water main on the Limestone Road.

"The location of the burst is making the repair challenging, as there are other utility services in the area.

"However, our teams have carried out rezoning which allows water to be brought from other areas to keep some customers in supply.

"As the repair progresses, some customers may experience a loss of supply or intermittent supply/poor water pressure.

"NI Water would like to thank customers for their patience while this emergency repair work is undertaken. Further updates will be available on our website at www.niwater.com"