Crane falls through pavement in Manchester city centre
The City Council tell us the company did not have the necessary licence for the crane to operate.
A 20 tonne crane has fallen through the pavement in Manchester's busy Market Street.
The ground appears to have buckled under the weight of the cherry picker which was stationed outside the Debenhams store.
Officers were called to the incident in the early hours of this morning and the vehicle remains wedged in the hole this afternoon (5th September).
A team from Manchester City Council has made the site safe with barriers and is due to assess the condition of the road after the crane has been taken away.
A spokesman for the council told us: "The crane was hired by a contractor carrying out a structural survey on behalf of Debenhams. Unfortunately, the firm involved did not approach the council for the necessary licence for the crane to operate. We will be having the crane removed as soon as possible and further investigations will be undertaken. "
Transport for Greater Manchester has also assessed the area and a normal service is running.