A railway bridge in Shrewsbury was struck by a lorry, which left debris hanging down and resulted in a road being closed.

The collision happened in Chester Road yesterday at about 2pm. A Shrewsbury witness, who works near by, said he heard the lorry strike the underside of the bridge.

The man, who did not wish to be named, said: “A seven-and-a-half tonne vehicle had to have its tyres let down so they could take it around the corner. It got caught on the right hand corner of the bridge.

“It sounded like somebo- dy dropped a box of spanners then I thought maybe it was the dustbin men until I look- ed out and saw the lorry.”

Constable Rob Seager, who was at the scene, said: “It was a vehicle on hire to the army. It went a little bit too close to the near side and caught the corner of the bridge. I had to let the tyres down so we could pull it out.

“The lorry struck the part of the bridge that is designed to take impact as a safety measure. There is some bridge debris hanging down.

“We are trying to keep the traffic flowing and we are taking the debris off so it doesn’t fall on a pedestrian or vehicle.”

Network Rail said a bridge inspector had been sent to the site and trains would run as normal. The road has since reopened.

In January another lorry got stuck under the bridge and also had to have its tyres let down before it could be freed. The accident delayed traffic and Network Rail urged drivers to be aware of the height of their vehicle and follow warning signs.