A German lorry became the latest vehicle to crash into the railway bridge in Norbiton last week.

The driver, Alexy Fischer, said he was following directions from his sat-nav and did not see the height restriction sign until it was too late. The accident halted trains for an hour causing road blocks and tailback traffic around Galsworthy Road and Coombe Lane. The side of the lorry was ripped off and the emergency services closed the road.

Witness Paul Harris said: "I've never seen a traffic jam like it."

It's not the first time the bridge has been struck, with at least two other accidents in the last year.

Mr Harris said: "The height of the bridge is marked out, but it isn't on the bridge itself it is on the side of the road where drivers may not be looking."

Buses were diverted and South West Trains services were stopped between Kingston and Norbiton for about an hour.

The last incident in 2006 at this bridge involved an Arriva London Rail replacement bus service, which had its roof completely torn off after it collided with the bridge. It prompted the switch of the height restriction warning from the Kingston side of the bridge to the right of the bridge, mounted on a wall. But the change was clearly not effective against the sat-nav used by German lorry drivers.