Lorry gets stuck under railway bridge in Wiltshire

A HGV got stuck under a railway bridge in Wiltshire - just hours after a Tesco lorry left much of the South West "cut off" when it too got trapped.

A heavy goods vehicle (HGV) was photographed stuck under the rail bridge on Old Vicarage Lane in South Marston on Tuesday 31 August.

The village offers a different route for drivers wanting to avoid diversion routes caused by roadworks at Swindon's main junction at the White Hart roundabout - but it is not an official diversion route for a reason.

Local Ray Hurley said those using the village ignore warning signs at their peril.

He said he came across the "rather unusual sight" of a lorry wedged up in the air as he was driving to South Marston from the A420.

He said: "Unfortunately recent roadworks make our village a tempting shortcut to use, however the roads are not suitable for diversions."

But he said a 7.5 weight limit on the road is often ignored by the drivers.

The rail bridge has a height limit of 4.4m or 14ft 6', and when combined with the angle of the narrow road, it is unsuitable for HGVs.

A spokesman for Wiltshire Police confirmed it was called to the collision, adding: "The council and Network Rail attended the scene to ensure the bridge was safe and the road was closed for two hours.

"No arrests were made and there were no reported injuries from the incident."

The incident happened the day after a Tesco lorry crashed into a railway bridge in Plymouth, leaving the city and Cornwall 'cut-off' from the rest of the rail network.

Network Rail has since urged lorry drivers to take better care, saying similar accidents occur "too often" and cost the taxpayer millions.