A lorry that got stuck on a bridge over the River Holme in Holmfirth was there for five hours causing traffic problems in the area.

The Portuguese driver is thought to have been following a sat nav when he tried to cross one way Hollowgate Bridge onto Huddersfield Road.

But an ornamental iron bell on the pavement near the narrow bridge got stuck between the wheels of the lorry at 7.15am this morning. It led to delays on Dunford Road.

The driver went past two signs warning that the road was not suitable – the first at the junction with Victoria Street which warns that the road is unsuitable for long vehicles, and also that there is a narrow bridge and a severe bend ahead. The second sign is just as you enter the bridge and indicates how narrow the bridge is.

Lorry stuck on Hollowgate Bridge, Holmfirth

The bell, which is on a wider section of the pavement, was put there to stop people parking on the pavement and also to protect the bridge which runs over the River Holme.

The noise of it woke David and Beverley Pickersgill, landlords of the nearby Elephant and Castle.

They rushed out to see if they could help and made a cup of tea for the driver.

Mrs Pickersgill said: “It happened at about 7.15am, I heard a loud noise. There’s an iron bell and it got stuck on the axle, it was stuck underneath and the lorry couldn’t move.

“It happens quite frequently, lorries coming down here following sat nav. It does need something doing about it.

“I’d say this happens once a month. It caused quite a few problems and delays.”

Police were called and a recovery truck arrived which lifted the HGV so the bell could be removed from underneath it just after midday.