Sinkhole shuts down main road through village

The entire road has been closed due to the size of the sinkhole

The sudden appearance of a sinkhole has closed the main road through a village.

The B4058 Rushmire Hill in Coombe, near Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire, had to be closed immediately on 13 June.

Gloucestershire County Council said the hole beneath the surface of the road was approximately three-and-a-half metres deep, leaving them with no choice but to close the road. An urgent investigation into the cause found damage to a public sewer, run by Wessex Water.

A spokesperson for the water company said preparations were under way to "ensure repairs can be made safely and effectively".

They added that they were working in partnership with the council's highways teams to keep disruption "to a minimum".

A spokesperson for the council confirmed that updates would be issued on their website, with separate road works on Rushmire Hill to prevent landslips still expected to be resolved by 6 July.

"While we can not guarantee the sinkhole will be resolved by then, we are currently optimistic that the road can be fully opened by this date," they added.