Runaway lorry causes city chaos

The lorry came to rest on railings in Court Square

Cumbria Police are questioning a lorry driver after his wagon rolled more than 300 yards through a busy city centre.

Police say the driver was using a cashpoint machine on English Street, in Carlisle, when the lorry began to move at lunchtime on Friday.

It travelled into Court Square, knocked over a set of traffic lights, and came to rest against the railings of the public toilets, near the city's railway station.

The truck is owned by Armstrongs of Longtown and was carrying a number of heavy tractor arms when the accident happened.

Traffic problems

Acting inspector Anne Brown said the driver was co-operating fully with their inquiries and officers would also be studying CCTV footage.

She said the police's first concern on arrival at the scene was to make the area safe and the electricity had to be switched off, resulting in traffic problems which continued through rush-hour.

Carlisle City Council workers were at the scene all afternoon to remove the mangled railings above the public toilets and make the area safe.