Lorry spill causes rush hour chaos

From the archive, first published Friday 14th Oct 2005.

A LORRY container carrying four tonnes of flat pack furniture tipped onto a pavement in Bradford on Avon yesterday morning.

Passers-by said it was a miracle no one was hurt as the lorry, which was travelling from Avonmouth to Bournemouth, shed its container, as it turned right into Silver Street from Market Street about 6.45am.

Police oversaw the recovery operation with the road closed from 10am for an hour while a crane from Frome-based Riley's was drafted in.

Traffic was backlogged as roads into the town from Melksham, Trowbridge and Bath were all affected.

Colin Holder, 48, who runs Downland produce stall at the town market, said: "It is very lucky no-one was hurt. It has caused a bit of a nuisance to the market stallholders as people cannot get through."

Elisabeth Marshall, 62, from Bridge Street, said: "It was lucky it was early in the morning and a miracle no one was killed.

"The problem is that we have 17 tonne lorries coming through the town, around the corner and you almost get decapitated by the huge wing mirrors as you walk over the narrow footpaths. It is time they did something about it."

Pc Gary Jones said some motorists ignored road closure signs meaning police had to use their cars as barricades.

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