Broken-down lorry brings traffic to standstill in Dereham

Traffic in Dereham came to a standstill this morning when a TNT delivery lorry broke down in the heart of the busy town centre on a market day.Three coaches carrying school children, the popular X1 bus to Norwich then Lowestoft and a number of local busses along with cars and lorries were at a standstill in the Market Place, along High Street, South Green and London Road.

Traffic in Dereham came to a standstill this morning when a TNT delivery lorry broke down in the heart of the busy town centre on a market day.

Three coaches carrying school children, the popular X1 bus to Norwich then Lowestoft and a number of local busses along with cars and lorries were at a standstill in the Market Place, along High Street, South Green and London Road.

It was all caused by a TNT lorry which had broken down at about 8.15am just before the traffic lights at the roundabout at the top of Market Place, stopping any traffic from Market Place or High Street getting through town.

Some school children on the coaches were allowed off to walk the rest of their journey to school - although some were seen walking in the opposite direction.

And passengers on the X1 were disembarked and directed onto another bus which arrived just after 9am.

Police arrived at the scene at about 9.10am and started to ease traffic through - which meant directing them down the opposite side of the side and the wrong way around the roundabout, with oncoming traffic from Wellington Road and Swaffham Road and Quebec Road stopped.

It was understood that the lorry's air breaks had failed meaning they were stuck on.

The lorry was still at the scene at gone 9.40am this morning, with police still directing traffic and stationary traffic still backed up along and past High Street.

Town councillor John Gretton, who was watching the traffic, said: “Chaos is a word which is used to often. But on this occasion it would be apt.”