A LORRY driver was left with a red face – after wedging his vehicle under a railway bridge.

The 7.5-tonne vehicle was ripped to pieces after it struck the bridge next to Mirfield Train Station just after 3pm yesterday.

The collision caused the roof of the white truck to be peeled back like a tin of sardines, but no-one was injured.

Debris from the shattered vehicle was scattered across Station Road opposite the steps up to the railway station platforms.

The embarrassed driver was too upset to speak, but it is thought he had rented the lorry and was not aware of its height.

Motorists who passed their driving test before 1997 are allowed to drive 7.5- tonne trucks without any extra training.

Recovery workers let down the tyres of the small lorry in a bid to free it from the bridge but it remained stuck until 5.30pm. The incident blocked one side of the road heading towards Lower Hopton but motorists were able to pass around it.

The impact forced Network Rail to briefly stop train services on the Leeds to Huddersfield line above.

A spokesman said engineers were on site within 10 minutes to check for damage.

He said: “We have checked the safety of the bridge and it is fine for services to continue.

“Rail services through Mirfield were disrupted for 20 minutes while engineers made their inspections.

“We carry out checks whenever something happens on the network and obviously it depends on the age and condition of the bridge and the amount of traffic it carries.”

Bystanders stopped to take pictures and workers from the adjacent Veolia factory said they thought about one vehicle a year got stuck at the bridge.