Staff in Clyde & Co's Manchester office have complained of having to work without running water after a mains burst in the city. 

Following a major leak last week which affected hundreds of homes and businesses, the shipping and insurance specialist's Manchester office found itself without water. The rest of the building's tenants were sent home, but being lawyers, alternative arrangements were made for the staff of Clyde & Co. 

Two flasks of water were provided for each floor, said an inside source, and staff were told to leave the office and find public loos should they need to make toilet. During the drought, which saw bottled water selling out across the city, a parched insider told RollOnFriday, "Only in a law firm would you be required to continue working without running water or toilet facilities". They said, "Conveniently there is silence from the partners who could send us home", while a second insider guessed the view was, "Make sure your billing gets done while you dehydrate and shit your pants".

The roof is John's now. Stay off the roof.

Sources more sympathetic to the firm's line said that staff were given directions to private loos in an unaffected building round the corner, and that United Utilities fixed the leak by 2.30pm. Although they accepted that it took a few hours for the toilets to fill up with water again.

A Clyde &  Co spokesman said, "We appreciate that this story is more than a damp squib. We are grateful to our staff for their characteristic stoicism in the face of the unexpected challenges confronting Manchester city centre for part of the day last Tuesday. We are, of course, hopeful of avoiding further leaks in future!"