PART of a Felixstowe street has been sealed off to traffic today after a mystery hole suddenly appeared in the road.Police took action to cordon off the area amid fears that a car could get its wheel trapped or fall through, and to keep pedestrians away from the danger.

PART of a Felixstowe street has been sealed off to traffic today after a mystery hole suddenly appeared in the road.

Police took action to cordon off the area amid fears that a car could get its wheel trapped or fall through, and to keep pedestrians away from the danger.

Tarmac crumbled and fell away to reveal a cavern beneath the hole in Gainsborough Road.

Officials, who are looking into the hole, believe a leaking water pipe beneath the surface may have caused the problem.

Three years ago, a similar hole appeared in St Andrew's Road where water had leaked from a pipe over a long period of time, eroding and washing away sand and soil.

This eventually caused a cave under the road and left the surface so thin a hole appeared.

The latest hole in Gainsborough Road - the street has been closed between Constable Road and Felix Road - is about 15 inches by 20 inches.

However, below ground there is an empty area several feet deep and wide which will need filling before road repairs can take place.

County council highways officials were today due to visit the site and contractors will be asked to investigate and carry out repairs.

One resident said: “It just suddenly appeared. I was worried that it might be to do with subsidence but the men who put the barriers up seemed to think it was just that small part of the road affected.”

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