BBC comedy costume trailer plunges into Bristol harbour

The lorry is seen half submerged in Bristol Harbourside, - SWNS
The lorry is seen half submerged in Bristol Harbourside, - SWNS

A costume trailer for a BBC comedy series has plunged into Bristol harbour after a spate of flooding broke out across southern England.

The HGV fell into the water at at 07:19 and ended up partially submerged.

The lorry, owned by Wandering Star Facilities, is currently being used for Stephen Merchant's television series The Outlaws.

Three fire engines, one heavy rescue tender, a boat and firefighters are using winches in an effort to stop the HGV from sinking.

Three fire engines, one heavy rescue tender, a boat and firefighters are using winches to stop the HGV from sinking. - SWNS
Three fire engines, one heavy rescue tender, a boat and firefighters are using winches to stop the HGV from sinking. - SWNS

A production spokesman for The Outlaws said: "An accident occurred involving one of our production vehicles. No-one was hurt or in the vehicle.

"We are investigating what happened and working on removing the vehicle as quickly and safely as possible."

Phil Worgan, who was staying on a boat nearby, said he heard shouting and a big crash at the time.

"I thought someone was about to jump or was in the water, but when I looked, it was a truck," he said.

Mr Worgan said a number of lorries had been at the site near Millennium Square for a few days.

"Apparently they were trying to hook it up and it just rolled in," he added

Witness David Hill, who lives nearby, walked to the scene after hearing sirens and said he "(has not) seen anything like it before".

In a reference to the 2020 Black Lives Matter protest in Bristol, which saw protesters topple a statue of slave trader Edward Colston into the harbour, Mr Hill said: "I've seen people go into the harbour, even a statue, but never a lorry.

"I was just heading out of the door on my way to work, and made a small detour out of curiosity to see what happened.

The 37-year-old head of marketing added: "There were several fire engines, a couple of ambulances and police cars, and then right in front of me was the partially submerged lorry."

Avon Fire and Rescue Service group manager Gareth Lloyd said the recovery will be a long and technical task.

"On arrival, crews found one HGV submerged in the water, the driver had already made it to safety," he said.

"The lorry is now secure and firefighters remain on scene to assist the recovery company in removing the vehicle."

No-one was injured but nearby boats have been evacuated and cordons are in place near to the truck. - SWNS
No-one was injured but nearby boats have been evacuated and cordons are in place near to the truck. - SWNS

The harbourmaster and Bristol City Council have been informed of the incident.

Avon Fire and Rescue Service said it was alerted to the incident at 7.19am and rushed to the scene with three vehicles and a boat after mobilising crews from Temple, Avonmouth and Bedminster .

The rescue team said the driver had already made it to safety on their arrival, and the lorry was secured by firefighters with two winches, using nearby trees for support.

Fire service temporary group manager Gareth Lloyd said: "On arrival, crews found one HGV submerged in the water, the driver had already made it to safety.

"A cordon was put in place and nearby boats evacuated to ensure safety on the scene.

"The lorry is now secure and firefighters remain on scene to assist the recovery company in removing the vehicle."

The harbourmaster and Bristol City Council have been informed of the incident.

It is understood that filming on The Outlaws finished at about 05:00 BST on Thursday morning.