A sinkhole has forced a main road to close - less than a mile from the scene of another chasm which caused five months of chaos last year.

The void on Upper Fant Road in Maidstone first emerged on Tuesday and Kent County Council workers made the area safe by setting up barriers as an emergency response.

This morning, however, the road has been closed between the entrances to St Michael's Road and Whitmore Street and could remain shut for up to seven days while investigations take place.

The hole is understood to be around 1x2x1 metres and comes just over a year after a massive gap opened up outside an Indian restaurant on the nearby A26 Tonbridge Road.

Many had to be evacuated from their homes after the collapse, while local businesses also suffered significantly during the five months of disruption, with Taj Barming owner Kiron Haque estimating the hole cost him £200,000 in lost revenue.

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