Tadcaster River Wharfe bridge collapse captured on CCTV

Dramatic footage has captured the moment when an ancient bridge collapsed into a swollen river.

People were evacuated from the area around the bridge over the River Wharfe in Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, after the collapse of the 18th century structure caused a gas leak.

The video shows the moment the stone side of the structure gave way, with parts dropping into the powerful river below and leaving the roadway and broken pipes clearly visible.

Tadcaster is 10 miles from York and has been affected by flooding caused by storms in recent days.

The bridge had already been closed due to fears over its structural safety before a crowd gathered at the riverside on Tuesday evening as stone could be heard falling into the water and creaking noises could be heard.

Just before 5pm a huge chunk of the bridge fell into the water just a few feet below.

People watching ran as a wave headed towards the bank and a strong smell of gas came from pipes left visible in the gaping hole.

They moved further back as the smell got stronger and a large number of police and fire service vehicles arrived within 10 minutes.

Officers put a large cordon on a section of the main road each side of the bridge telling local people to leave the area due to a gas escape.

The bridge is in the middle of the town and has spanned the river for centuries. According to the Tadcaster town council website, the current structure was built around 1700.