A SUPERMARKET is back in business after it was forced to shut due to flooding.

More than 150 shoppers had to be evacuated from Waitrose, in Billericay High Street, after water rushed into the store on Saturday afternoon.

It was the supermarket’s busiest time of the week, with 4,000 shoppers expected, but it had to close from about 12.15pm until 5pm as water passed the fresh produce and made it up to the coffee section on aisle eight.

The flooding came just a few weeks after a £4million refurbishment of the store.

Jon McDonald, a department manager, said: “It was like a wall of water coming towards you. We tried our best to make a dam to stop it, but that got overwhelmed. At the beginning it was a bit of a panic, then when we got everyone out of the building, we had to take stock of what happened.

It was very frustrating that it happened on a Saturday so soon after the refurbishment.”

The neighbouring Chimichanga restaurant also closed, after a chef ran out infront of diners shouting: “The kitchen is like a swimming pool”.

Panicked staff had just seen Waitrose shoppers rush past the front of the restaurant.

Restaurant manager Dan Bruce, 24, said: “It stank of stagnant water but nothing was damaged.