AN ARTICULATED lorry created traffic chaos this morning when it careered off the A31 Wimborne bypass, ploughed through gardens and eventually embedded itself in a church.

All Saints Church at Stapehill suffered "substantial damage" after the 38-ton UK-registered lorry travelling down the A31 drove straight across the Canford Bottom roundabout, ploughed through several gardens on Wimborne Road West and smashed into the church.

The driver is believed to have suffered a leg injury, but miraculously, nobody else was injured as the accident brought chaos to the area around 5.05 this morning.

Three fire crews from Wimborne and Blandford were quickly on the scene and the A31 was closed to eastbound traffic while Wimborne Road West was also closed.

Heavy lifting equipment was brought in to remove the church debris and lorry and a passer-by described the scene of devastation.

"It was astonishing. Looking at the tracks, he must have gone straight across the roundabout, through a few residential gardens, taking out a few trees on the way and went straight into the church.

"The roof of the church appears to be on top of the lorry, but the fire crews didn't have to cut the driver out. He was very lucky."

A police spokesman on the scene confirmed that the driver had suffered a leg injury and said: "The articulated lorry has caused substantial damage to the church. We have had to close the A31 to eastbound traffic from the Merley roundabout to Canford Bottom and also Wimborne Road West."

In January this year, the Echo reported that the 70-year-old church could be bulldozed to make way for a larger building to accommodate larger congregations.

Services at All Saints have attracted such large crowds that the vicar hopes knocking it down and building a new £300,000 church will create room for up to 70 extra worshippers - bringing the capacity to around 170.

First published: August 8