Hinckley railway bridge sits top of 'most bashed' chart

Drivers regularly misjudge the 4.6m (15ft) bridge in Hinckley

A low bridge in Leicestershire has been dubbed the "most bashed" in Britain after being struck 25 times in a year.

The Watling Street railway bridge on the A5 in Hinckley saw crashes almost once a fortnight on average in the year to the end of March, Network Rail said.

Its list of the most commonly struck bridges also included structures in Dudley, Cambridgeshire and Norfolk.

However, the organisation said there had been an 11% decrease in bridge crashes compared to the previous year.

Lorry drivers are being encouraged to check the height of their vehicles

Network Rail said there was an average of five railway bridge crashes per day nationally, with repairs costing an average of £13,000 per strike.

It has started a new awareness campaign ahead of an expected increase in traffic encouraging lorry drivers to familiarise themselves with the height of their vehicle before setting off.

Chairman Sir Peter Hendy said: "We've done a lot of work with partners across the industry in recent years to tackle bridge strikes, and whilst it's encouraging to see our work is paying off with numbers now on the decline, there's a lot more to be done to cut the unnecessary delays, costs and safety risks they pose."

'Simple steps'

Network Rail, which looks after about 10,000 bridges over roads, has also written to operators of large vehicle fleets warning they could lose their licence if they fail to have measures in place to minimise the risk of drivers misjudging height restrictions.

Senior structures adviser at Highways England, Hideo Takano, said: "Around two-thirds of bridge strikes on our roads are caused by vehicles carrying a load.

"So to reduce the risk of this happening, we urge all drivers to follow these simple steps: Know your height, plan your route and secure your load."

Most frequently struck bridges in 2019-20

1. Watling Street, Hinckley, Leicestershire - struck 25 times

2. Bromford Road, Oldbury, West Midlands - struck 24 times

3. St John's Street, Lichfield, Staffordshire - struck 23 times

4. Stuntney Road, Ely, Cambridgeshire - struck 19 times

5. Abbey Farm, Thetford, Norfolk - struck 16 times

6. Thurlow Park Road, Tulse Hill, London - struck 14 times

7= Carlisle Road, Cleland, North Lanarkshire - struck 13 times

7= Harlaxton Road, Grantham, Lincolnshire - struck 13 times

7= Stonea Road, Stonea, Cambridgeshire - struck 13 times

10= Coddenham Road, Needham Market, Suffolk - struck 11 times

10= Lower Downs Road, Wimbledon, London - struck 11 times

Source: Network Rail