A LORRY became stuck in an eight-foot deep "sinkhole" after a road gave way in Kings Caple yesterday.

One of the Quick Skip trucks' front wheels ended up lodged in the hole outside a home in Caple Avenue after it had just delivered a skip.

A cordon has been placed around the lorry following the incident at 4pm, while a partial road closure is in force.

It is unclear when the lorry would be removed and when the road would fully re-open.

None of the properties are affected.

"The driver went to drive off after delivering the skip when he noticed that something wasn't right," said Paul Lively, director at Quick Skip.

"The road had given way and the lorry became stuck.

"Luckily, it was one of our smaller lorries and was empty at the time, otherwise it could have been much worse.

"We contacted highways and the council told us that they are going to sort it.

"But, we won't be allowed to remove it until it is safe to do so and we may need a crane to lift it off.

"Once, the council get back to us, we will go down and decide what we can do without damaging the lorry."

Sinkholes are formed following a collapse of a surface layer and can vary in size.

One measuring more than 2,000ft has been recorded in Guangxi in China, while the largest in Europe is believed to be a pit called 'Red Lake' in Croatia.

Sinkholes may capture surface drainage from running or standing water, but may also form in high and dry places in specific locations and can also result from human activity.

They are especially common where the rock below the land surface is limestone or another carbonate rock.