Parents have told of their fury at being turned away from Chessington World of Adventures over a water outage after travelling for hours to get there.They accused the theme park of failing to alert visitors in time about the closure, which spoiled an exciting day out for children in the middle of their summer holidays.Chessington, in Surrey, closed its gates to all visitors on Monday after the water supply dried up - amid Britain's worsening, record-breaking drought.Thames Water, which supplies the park, said engineers were fixing a burst main on a road leading into the attraction which was affecting customers in the KT9 area. Father Sam Gauci received no notice of the park’s closure when he arrived, despite having booked through the Merlin Pass system.He said: 'We live locally, so we come quite often but the system has gone downhill since Covid. It’s really frustrating.'We had no idea it was closed until we got here. Nobody had told us anything, even though we booked through the online system.'We should have been told.'Visitors outside the entrance to Chessington World of Adventures Resort in Surrey today A Chessington customer assistant informs members of the public of the closure todayA deserted Chessington World of Adventures Resort today after it closed due to a water outageNick Harper, a 38-year-old father, also ended up 'retreating' to the hotel when he and his family realised the park was closed.He said: 'We were miffed as we came all this way from South London for the day. We’ve made the best of it.'Lots of people are in the same boat. We’ve retreated to the hotel bar.'Mother-of-two Camila Miranda drove 100 miles from Bournemouth to the park, only to find it was shut.She said: 'We drove two and a half hours from Bournemouth up here. 'Luckily we were booked in the hotel so we don't have to turn back around but it has really disappointed the kids. We came for the park really, not the hotel.'Asked about the response from the park, she said: 'They’re trying their best but they could have had more of a Plan B. They let us check in early but maybe they could have had more things for the kids to do.'Despite the park closing hours earlier, expectant visitors were seen still arriving at the gates around 5pm, having received no notice about the closureSamantha Hamilton, a 23-year-old mother, was 'stunned' to be told it was closed when she arrived with her family from Reading.She said: 'It's ridiculous really. They didn't tell anyone until it was too late. We have been told we can go to Thorpe Park but have been told to expect long delays.'We just wanted a relaxing day. It's been a nightmare to be honest. They'll already be thousands of people at Thorpe Park. Emergency works underway by Thames Water outside the entrance gates to Chessington A Chessington customer assistant informs members of the public of the closure today Damage to Leatherhead Road in Chessington today following the burst Thames Water main'We're going to go home. The kids are gutted. It's been a pretty rubbish day.'Facebook user Momo Lin wrote that 'all children are disappointed'. Another, Sammy Louise, said: 'We've re-routed to Thorpe Park, absolutely dreading the queues as Thorpe Park and Legoland are going to be hit with Chessington guests.' Visitors being turned away at the Chessington front gate were being invited to visit other Merlin Entertainment attractions such as Thorpe Park and Legoland instead.They were also offered to return to Chessington for free another day – but were not being offered transport. Visitors were also being told Legoland is very busy today.Nearby businesses had also experienced water problems this morning - though an off-licence said it had returned to normal by the afternoon.A Thames Water van along with engineers could be seen at the Chessington site in the afternoon.Locals near Chessington are among 27 million people across England and Wales under a hosepipe ban as reservoir levels plunge amid an extraordinarily hot and dry spring and summer.A ban has been in place for Thames Water customers since July 23. The company is one of nine which have brought in restrictions meaning their customers are legally banned from using hosepipes to water gardens or wash cars, patios or boats.A spokesperson for Chessington said: 'We are currently experiencing operational disruption due to a burst water main that is affecting the local area.'As a result, the attraction is closed today while our teams work closely with Thames Water and local partners to restore normal operations as quickly and safely as possible.'We appreciate the patience and understanding of our guests and can confirm that anyone impacted will be automatically revalidated under our return promise.'The safety of our guests and employees remains our highest priority.'Chessington has enacted its 'return promise', which allows customers who have pre-booked tickets to return for free within nine months of their visit on selected dates.The site, which is owned by Merlin Entertainments, has not specified which dates will be open for a free return visit, but the school holiday period typically ends at the start of September.Thames Water has switched off the burst main on Leatherhead Road directly outside the theme park, and repairs have begun.A Thames Water spokesman said: 'We're sorry to customers in the Chessington area who are currently without water, and to anyone whose plans to visit Chessington World of Adventures Resort who have been affected following today's outage.'Our specialist team is on site and have located a burst water main on Leatherhead Road. Repairs are under way and we are working as quickly and safely as possible to restore supplies. Once the repair is complete, water should begin returning to taps.'Meanwhile car washes and swimming pools could face a water ban over the coming weeks.Southern Water imposed a hosepipe ban in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight on July 10 – but it could now go further by applying to the Government for a Drought Order and Non-Essential Use Ban (NEUB), which would affect businesses.A NEUB would prevent companies from washing cars and windows with hosepipes or other mechanical devices, or filling non-domestic swimming or paddling pools.The pool ban would cover facilities restricted to members of a private club, gym or association rather than general walk-in users. It would include pools at hotels, holiday parks or private health clubs if they do not meet open public access criteria.An NEUB would also force businesses to stop watering outdoor plants on commercial premises; fill or maintain a pond; clean any vehicle, boat, aircraft or train; clean industrial plants; suppress dust; or operate cisterns on unoccupied buildings.If Southern Water's application is granted, it would be the first NEUB since one was given to Sutton and East Surrey Water in 2006 – which was itself the first since 1995.