A DIESEL spill from a lorry that was left hanging precariously off a bridge was being monitored at the weekend.

A DIESEL spill from a lorry that was left hanging precariously off a bridge was being monitored at the weekend.

Fuel from the heavy goods vehicle entered the River Brett in Monks Eleigh on Friday at around 7.30pm.

Nearby residents, whose houses in The Street run parallel with the river, said they were worried about the affect the diesel would have on local wildlife.

But a spokeswoman for the Environment Agency said it was not thought to be a “significant risk”.

Part of the bridge had to be demolished after the crash and the road, which runs between Lavenham and Monks Eleigh, was closed at the weekend.

Donald McGregor, of The Street, said he could see a film of oil on top of the river and smell it.

“I was in one of the cars behind the lorry after it hit the bridge,” he said.

“As it is such a narrow bridge, lorries are always hitting it, the last one two months ago, and it often has to be repaired. But this time there is much more damage.”

Contractors for the Environment Agency responded by creating a boom to block the spread of the fuel downstream.

A spokeswoman said the river was checked over the weekend. She said: “The heavy rain overnight has flushed the diesel through and dissipated it a bit. We do not believe there has been a long term affect on wildlife.

“The iridescent films were a thin layer of oil and we do not believe it will be a significant risk to wildlife.”

No other vehicles were involved and the driver of the lorry was not injured. Suffolk police said engineers were expected to assess the bridge today .