CLOSURES were in place on the A31 after a lamppost brought down an electrical power cable.

There were reports of delays and traffic problems in the area while the incident was dealt with.

The eastbound carriageway was shut at Palmerston roundabout and the westbound carriageway was also closed at Boundary roundabout but these have now been lifted by police.

Subsequent short road closures were needed later in the afternoon to allow SSEN to restore the electricity supply, a Dorset Police spokesperson said.

They added that this caused short-term traffic disruption that is necessary as SSEN said they needed to resotre a power supply for St Leonards Hospital, which had been running on a back up generator.

The Dorset Police spokesperson said: "A lamppost snapped and came down directly outside the Oakdene Forest Park.

"It took down an electrical cable. The cable was across lane one and two of the eastbound carriageway and slightly into lane two of the westbound carriageway."

"It was necessary to shut the road as the cables were still live and part of the central reservation was live."

The full closure was initially in place while the electrical board accessed the scene and isolated the power.

Highways England and SSEN engineers were called to the scene.