Lorry filming for BBC show stuck in Bristol Harbour - production company 'investigating'

A lorry which has fallen into Bristol Harbour was part of a film crew for Stephen Merchant's new BBC show, it has been confirmed.

The HGV reversed through metal barriers and remains partially submerged in the water close to V-Shed, not far from Millennium Square.

It has now been confirmed the lorry was part of a film crew working on Stephen Merchant's new comedy The Outlaws.

Avon Fire and Rescue Service have been at the scene since 7am and are working to remove the lorry from the water.

It has been secured in place but could take hours to remove - as 1,000 litres of fuel must be drained before it can be recovered.

The driver was uninjured but "shaken up" as a result of the incident.

In a statement, the production company behind the filming said it is "investigating" the incident.

The vehicle was setting up for the filming of the second series The Outlaws - which has been created by Bristol-born comedian Stephen Merchant.

The first episode of series one premiers on BBC One on Monday 25 October.

A production spokesperson said: “An accident occurred involving one of our production vehicles. No-one was hurt or in the vehicle.“We are investigating what happened and working on removing the vehicle as quickly and safely as possible.”

'These accidents do happen'

Gareth Lloyd, group manager at Avon Fire and Rescue Service, told ITV News: "On arrival we found a driver - luckily outside of the vehicle."

He added: "These accidents do happen don't they at times.

"There's a filming company that are setting up and this is part of their equipment.

"Somehow they've managed to roll back off the site."

Three fire engines, a heavy rescue tender and a boat are on the scene, just along from the V-Shed Wetherspoon pub, on the corner by the Revolucion de Cuba restaurant.

ITV News understands a HGV is on its way to Bristol from Wales to help drain the fuel tank, but this means any rescue operation could be several hours away.