A large hole has appeared in a road after a sewer collapsed.

The gaping void in Church Street, Great Harwood, appeared on Friday, and at first it was suspected a burst water main had caused the issue.

However, a spokesperson from United Utilities confirmed that there were problems with 300mm sewer under the road.

The spokesperson said: "The engineers went out to the site on Friday evening and collected the rubble and carried out some CCTV but it's not yet sure whether the hole has been caused by structural problems with the road surface or the actual sewer.

"Work is due to be started on Monday to excavate quite a large area of the road so engineers can get into the sewer and take a closer look and carry out tests to identify the problem."

United Utilities said that if the problem lies with the sewer then it will need to be replaced, which could result in road closures and a lengthy period of work in the area.

On Friday, Lancashire County Council put a road closure in place and fenced off the hole, which appears to be around one metre wide.

The council's website states that the closure will be in place until Tuesday October 1, but if United Utilities need to carry out further work then this could be extended.