A lorry has crashed into a pub wall on the A371, leading police to close one of the major roads out of Shepton Mallet.

Police closed the road at around 10.30am, after the lorry collided into the wall at the side of the Pecking Mill Inn at Evercreech, leaving debris strewn across the road.

Motorists are being advised to avoid the area.

A social media post from Travel Somerset says: "We have reports that a lorry has crashed into the side of the Pecking Mill pub in Evercreech.

As a result, there is a lot of debris on the road, so the police have temporarily closed this section of the A371."

Writing in a community Facebook group, nearby residents urged motorists to avoid the area, while those living near the pub said it was the third accident on that stretch of road in the space of a week.

Councillor Barry O'Leary, deputy chair of Mendip District Council (MDC) and a ward councillor for Evercreech wrote: "Although the district council has no direct role in highways I've spent all four of my years as MDC member continuously arguing with the highways team that something better needs to be done here.

"Some roadside improvements were made, but it's proven again to be insufficient. It's really Somerset County Council took full action.

"The latest incident is a near miss in terms of human tragedy, but certainly a direct hit in terms of property - it must act as a catalyst to take some long overdue action."