Two Oxford University buildings had their water supply cut off today following an ecoli scare. 

The university's estate services cut the supply to the Andrew Wiles building, home to the Mathematical Institute, and Radcliffe Humanities building. 

Employees and students in the buildings, both on Woodstock Road, were unable to wash their hands or drink the water.

An email sent last night by the estate services to employees said they had been notified that there may be a problem with the drinking water, so they were shutting off the water as a precaution.

Someone who works at Andrew Wiles, who wanted to remain anonymous, said: "We came in this morning and they've all been warning employees that there might be ecoli in the water and it isn't safe to drink.

"Everyone here is really grumbling."

The source said bottles of water and plastic cups were being given out in the common room, plus sanitising gel for hand washing. 

A spokesman for Oxford University stressed that there has been no outbreak of ecoli.

He said: "We routinely test the water in our buildings and a recent set of results showed higher bacteria levels than normal in the Mathematical Institute and Radcliffe Humanities buildings.

"We immediately sought expert advice and, as a precaution, have provided bottled water for people working in the buildings.  

"All the staff have been advised not to drink tap water while we take measures to resolve the matter. We are continuing to test the water and will notify staff as soon as the situation is resolved."

The university's water supply is managed privately, not by Thames Water.