AN emergency road closure is in place following the collapse of a of road around sewer.
St Helens Council issued a statement saying the incident had affected Market Street in Earlestown.
Pictures of the sunken road have been circulated on social media.
The local authority said the incident had affected "between the junction of Crow Lane West and at the junction of Heather Brae".
United Utilities have been informed and motorists are advised to use an alternative route.
Writing on social media, Newton Councillor Seve Gomez-Aspron, the deputy leader of the council, said the area is "prone to this due to mining subsidence and natural fault lines".
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here