A railway bridge has been shut after a sinkhole sparked fears it could collapse onto the tracks below.

Ham Shades Lane in Whitstable will be closed for up to a week as Kent County Council investigates the cause of the issue.

A diversion has been put in place after the busy route was closed off today.

County and city councillor Neil Baker (Con) tweeted about the closure.

"This is due to a possible sinkhole," he said.

"The depth of the defect is being investigated but the key thing is to avoid the risk of anything collapsing on to the railway line below.

"More should be known later today."

A spokesman for KCC says the authority is aware of a void in the road in Ham Shades Lane.

"The road has been closed between Foxgrove Road and Pier Avenue, while investigations are underway to determine its cause," he said.

"The closure is in place for an initial period of up to seven days with a diversion from Ham Shades Lane, Foxgrove Road, Thanet Way, Herne Bay Road, Kemp Road, Swalecliffe Road."