Stephen Merchant's The Outlaws truck plunges into Bristol Harbor

A costume trailer for Stephen Merchant’s TV series The Outlaws has crashed in a downtown harbor.

The truck fell into the water at Bristol Harbor at 07:19 BST and ended up partially submerged.

No one was injured, but nearby boats have been evacuated and cordons are in place near the truck.

The truck is owned by Wandering Star Facilities, which leased it to the ADF television vehicle support group for production, which was shot in the city.

Three fire engines, a heavy rescue tender, a boat and firefighters are using winches in an attempt to prevent the truck from sinking.

A production spokesperson for The Outlaws said, “There was an accident involving one of our production vehicles. No one was injured or in the vehicle.

“We are investigating what happened and are working to remove the vehicle as quickly and safely as possible.”

Image source, MOD

Image caption, The Outlaws was filmed in Bristol and is about a group of offenders gathered to complete community service

Phil Worgan, who was on a nearby boat, said he heard screams and a big crash at the time.

“I thought someone was going to jump or was in the water, but when I looked, it was a truck,” he said.

Mr. Worgan said several trucks have been stopped at the site near Millennium Square for several days.

“Apparently they were trying to connect it and it just arrived,” he added.

Image source, AFP

Image caption, Emergency services said no one was injured

Image caption, Firefighters said the recovery mission will take some time

Gareth Lloyd, head of the Avon Fire and Rescue Service group, said the recovery will be a long and technical task.

“Upon arrival, the crews found a truck submerged in the water, the driver had already arrived safely,” he said.

“The truck is now safe and the firefighters remain on site to assist the recovery company in removing the vehicle.”

The Port Authority and the Municipality of Bristol were informed of the incident.

Image caption, Heavy lifting trucks are on the scene

It is understood that filming for The Outlaws ended around 05:00 BST on Thursday morning.

Filming for the TV series began in March 2020, but it was only ten days before they were due to close due to coronavirus restrictions. It started again in October of this year.

The Outlaws starts Monday on BBC One.