TRAFFIC heading for the Medway Tunnel was brought to a standstill when a lorry hit the tunnel.

The top of the over-height HGV scraped along the tunnel roof, damaging lighting and scattering debris along the road. The lorry was travelling from Gillingham to Strood yesterday afternoon at the time of the accident.

Medway Council brought in maintenance stuff to clear the debris and they initially closed only one lane in a bid to minimise disruption.

After a while they decided it would be safer to close the entire Strood-bound side of the tunnel. Diversions were set up but traffic jams built up on the Gillingham side of the tunnel.

Vehicles travelling in the other direction were unaffected. The road was reopened later in the afternoon.