A grandfather has told how the ground shook 'like there was an earthquake' as a large sinkhole appeared in a Bolton street.
The drama unfolded on Saturday afternoon in Barncroft Road, Farnworth - one of several streets in the area currently being resurfaced.
Paul McDermott, 66, of nearby Regent Walk, was talking to a neighbour when he heard a huge crash.
He said: "There was a big vehicle that was skimming off the old tarmac, then suddenly there was a loud noise and the road collapsed. It was like an earthquake."
Mr McDermott, who has six grandchildren, said contractor carrying out the work, Tarmac, had an area measuring about three square metres fenced off almost immediately.
"Thankfully no-one was hurt, but the road is completely closed now and it will slow the job down," he explained.
Another neighbour, Margaret Dawes, 65, of nearby Cross Street, said: "We noticed the hole had appeared on Saturday.
"We know that there are a lot of old mine works around here, so I suppose it's not really surprising when something like this happens."
Today, workmen were on site investigating the depth of the sinkhole and were starting to fill the cavity in.
A Bolton council spokesperson said: "During planned maintenance work on Barncroft Road, Farnworth a void below the existing road surface has been discovered.
"We are now investigating the cause to then repair this before completing the routine re-surfacing work.”
The incident is by no means the first in Greater Manchester. In January, a car was partially swallowed when a hole measuring about four square metres appeared in Gorton.
In April, a street in Irlam was sealed off when I big hole appeared before council officers launched an investigation into the cause.
And two weeks ago a street in Failsworth was closed when a hole a foot wide was discovered
