A STRETCH of the A358 between Taunton and West Somerset will remain closed for “several hours” after a mudslide blocked it yesterday evening. 

A Somerset County Council highways crew is at the scene to clear the road, located at Combe Florey near Bishops Lydeard, of mud and potatoes.

Police announced the road closure at around 7.30pm yesterday (September 5) following a thunderstorm earlier in the evening.

This morning, a Travel Somerset spokesperson said: “Here's the scene on the A358 at Combe Florey this morning after last night's mudslide.

“The road will remain closed for several hours while we clear mud and more potatoes.”

Pictures and a video show a digger being used to clear the road beneath a West Somerset Railway bridge. 

On August 15, the same stretch of road was blocked by around 50 tonnes of mud and potatoes following a mudslide. 

Buses of Somerset has confirmed that its service 28 will experience delays this morning because of the mudslide. 

A spokesperson said: “Due to flooding and a landslide at Combe Florey, services are having to divert Via Raleghs cross, missing the route from Combe Florey to Williton.

“We are unsure for how long this will be, but will cause delays this morning on service 28.”

At around 10am, Travel Somerset said weather conditions are making the clean-up “tricky”.

However, emergency access was restored on the road at around 8.10am.