Removal van gets wedged under railway bridge

A road had to be closed off after a removal van struck a railway bridge and became wedged underneath.

The large vehicle crashed into the underside of the bridge near Manningtree railway station in Essex at about 13:20 GMT.

The driver had been travelling southbound from the direction of nearby Cattawade, in Suffolk, and the A137 had to be closed off in both directions between Station Road and the nearby level crossing.

Essex Police said the van had since been removed and no injuries or damage had been reported. The road remained closed into the evening.

Driver Lee Tucker runs a pressure cleaning business and was on his way to a job when he encountered the aftermath.

"I got out and asked if everyone was OK and if I could help, but they were all fine," he told the BBC.

"It is probably one of the worst I've seen there – it was totally wedged under the bridge and the contents of someone's home was all over the road.

"It caused mayhem with traffic, and the trains were running over the bridge slowly, so the barriers were down a lot, causing traffic to back-up."

Tucker said that vans and lorries striking the bridge was a common occurrence.

"It's been a very bad day for someone, but this is a regular problem," he added.

Greater Anglia said all trains were running a “good service”.

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