A lorry has fallen into the harbour in Bristol city centre.

Emergency services were called to the scene early on Thursday after the HGV ended up partially submerged in the water, with the cab perched on the dock.

David Hill, who lives nearby and walked to the scene after hearing sirens, said he had not “seen anything like it before”.

Referencing the moment a statue of the slave trader Edward Colston was toppled into the port during a Black Lives Matter protest in 2020, Hill, 37, told the PA news agency: “I’ve seen people go into the harbour, even a statue, but never a lorry.

“I was just heading out of the door on my way to work, and made a small detour out of curiosity to see what happened.

“There were several fire engines, a couple of ambulances and police cars, and then right in front of me was the partially submerged lorry.”

Avon fire and rescue service said it was alerted to the incident at 7.19am and attended the scene with three vehicles and a boat after crews from Temple, Avonmouth and Bedminster were mobilised.

The rescue team said the driver had already made it to safety on their arrival, and the lorry was secured by firefighters with two winches, using nearby trees for support.

The fire service temporary group manager Gareth Lloyd said: “On arrival, crews found one HGV submerged in the water, the driver had already made it to safety.

“A cordon was put in place and nearby boats evacuated to ensure safety on the scene.

“The lorry is now secure and firefighters remain on scene to assist the recovery company in removing the vehicle.”