A massive sinkhole has opened up in the middle of a busy street on the Isle of Wight, prompting a multi-agency response.
Quay Street, located opposite the Isle of Wight Law Courts, was cordoned off after locals reported the issue.
Work on the underground sinkhole, first noticed on Sunday, is continuing with the road closed.
The gaping hole - which is said to be around 12ft deep - appeared nearby to residential properties, shops and opposite the island's law courts.
Photos showing a sense of the scale of the issue were posted online.
Further investigations are expected to be carried out by both Island Roads and SGN, local reports suggest.
They are working to ensure no gas pipes have been compromised.
It comes just weeks after a huge sinkhole suddenly opened up in Scotland, which is believed to have uncovered a long-lost railway line.
The large hole appeared in Dublin Street, Edinburgh, last month, sparking council workers to rush to the scene.
An investigation was launched to discover the cause of the sink hole’s appearance.
Some people were excited to find it may have revealed what remains of the historic railway line beneath the New Town road before it was covered up, Edinburgh Live reported.
One said of the sinkhole: “Been avoiding this dip for ages, mind you, I have to do that on most streets.”
Another added: “Years of neglect.
“Look at the state of that road. Been dug up so many times it’s obvious it was going to happen with a known tunnel underneath it.
“Council at fault for not spending a thing for years on the maintenance of roads.”
Twelve families were meanwhile forced to flee their homes just before Christmas when a 15-foot sinkhole opened up.
A collapsed sewer has been blamed for the gaping hole that emerged at the end of November outside the block of flats in Dudley, West Midlands.
