Schools were forced to close after Thames Water confirmed the issues are down to a power supply problem that hit its Ashford and Hampton water treatment works in west London.

Power is back, a spokesperson has said, but customers can expect water supply to "take some time" to return - with tankers sent "as a precaution" to affected areas to "support local hospitals and critical infrastructure".

The following postcodes are affected: SW4, SW8, SW9, SW13, SW14, SW15, SW18, SW19, TW1, TW2, TW3, TW4, TW5, TW7, TW8, TW9, TW10, TW11, TW12, TW13, TW14, TW17, W1H, W1M, W1N, W2, W3, W4, W6, W7, W10, W12, W13, W14.

Anyone who has pre-registered as having special requirements - such as being medically reliant on water - is being identified so the firm can get in touch, the spokesperson added.

"We're really sorry to customers in southwest London who are experiencing low pressure or no water," the company said.

Rush to get water for baby daughter

Adam Jacobs, who lives in Isleworth in southwest London, told Sky News he had to run to the shops for bottled water to make sure he has enough for his seven-month-old baby, who is bottle-fed.

Shelves were fast becoming empty as others bought bottles in a panic, he said, but he managed to get enough for the time being.

He worries he'll run out if the issues last into the afternoon.

"When I got there, they were running out of bottled water, people were panic buying," the 43-year-old said.

"I don't have a car, but I knew I could run to the shops. If this goes on for the day then there is a serious problem."

Adam, who works from home, says their supply of bottled water is low as he wanted to leave enough in the shop for others.

"It just seems unbelievable in this day and age that a company as large as Thames Water can have nothing in place when power goes down," he added.

"Why is there no other power source? So much of London has been left without water since early this morning."

Schools forced to close

Children arrived at school to discover they are closed for the day, Adam said, with many confirming they won't be able to open.

MP for Twickenham in southwest London, Munira Wilson, said some schools in her area were forced to close over the issue and urged Thames Water to "sort this soon".

Sheen Mount Primary School, in Temple Sheen, told parents to collect their children from 9.50am.

King's House School in Richmond also confirmed they are closing for the day.

Earlier, Thames Water had also identified the following postcodes, though they have since been removed from the list: CR4, E5, E8, EC1V, KT1, KT2, KT3, KT8, HA0, N1, N15, N16, N17, NW1, NW2, NW10, SE1, SE11, SE16, SE17, UB1, UB2, UB6.