Sinkhole swallows up part of shore car park

Federica BedendoNorth East and Cumbria
News imageShane Stanbridge The sinkhole in a tarmac car park. The hole is about as large as three parking spaces. The area surrounding the hole has broken sections of tarmac and sand around it. One side of the car park is covered in water. A handful of cars are parked some distance away from the hole.Shane Stanbridge
Seascale Parish Council said United Utilities was working at the site

A sinkhole has swallowed up the ground around a seafront car park.

The void appeared over the weekend along the shorefront in Seascale, Cumbria.

Parish councillor Zöe O'Hanlon said she believed it had been caused by a burst outflow pipe and councillors had been at the scene with United Utilities, police and highways officers.

In an update posted on social media, she said: "We have been advised that United Utilities will be clearing up the area and fencing off in the vicinity where the sinkhole is." United Utilities said part of the car park would remain closed while work was carried out.

A company spokesman apologised for the inconvenience and confirmed a similar incident happened on the same site in 2012.

"We have erected fencing and made the area safe while we now get on with the necessary work to make the repairs and we will be completing this as soon as we can," they said.

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