AN embarrassed driver was left waiting for a salvage company to rescue his vehicle after he tried to drive a 13ft lorry under a 12ft bridge.

The driver, a worker for William Pownall carpet manufacturers, of Manchester, had been driving the lorry along Barden Lane, Burnley, at 12.30pm yesterday.

When he tried to manoeuvre under the railway bridge the roof crumpled and wedged itself to the underside of the bridge.

WPC Judith Linnell said: "We tried to let the tyres down, but the lorry has double wheels on the back and we could not get to the inside tyres to let the air out so the lorry would not move.

"In the end we had to wait for a salvage company to haul the lorry free from the bridge."

A single track of the road remained open and traffic was directed by police until the lorry had been freed.

British Rail engineers were called to check there had been no lasting damage done to the bridge structure.

The driver refused to reveal his name to be published and would not comment on the incident.

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