A motorcycle trainer has recounted the moment he heard "a sound like a lightning strike" as a lorry collided with a telegraph pole.

Live cables fell onto Long Green, Cressing, as the white Mercedes lorry took the pole out of the ground.

The road was closed for more than 12 hours after the crash at 10am on Monday and five homes went without power until 11pm.

Trainer Andy Court, 49, was approximately 500 yards away from the scene at the Benson Motorcycle Training Ground and he rushed out to see "chaos".

He said: "The driver had taken the pole straight out of the ground and the commander of the fire brigade said one of the cables was stuck around the lorry."

For the full story, see this week's Braintree and Witham Times.