A MAN was due to appear in court on Tuesday (September 12) charged with more than a dozen offences after an incident in which a former World War Two Army truck was seen smashing through a police roadblock in Norton Fitzwarren.

The drama happened on Sunday afternoon when four police vehicles and five cars belonging to residents were damaged in Station Road.

Later in the afternoon, the M5 motorway was closed in both directions when a man climbed over the railings of an overhead bridge in Walford Cross, to the east of Taunton.

Geoff Marshall, of Station Road, Norton Fitzwarren, has been charged with one count of dangerous driving, 12 counts of criminal damage, and one of battery.

Marshall, aged 41, was arrested on Sunday afternoon and was detained in custody pending an appearance before magistrates in Taunton on Tuesday.

An Avon and Somerset Constabulary spokesperson said the charges related to an incident on Sunday afternoon when officers received reports of a man causing damage to a property, before subsequently driving a military-style lorry into police and public vehicles.

The spokesperson said: “The community can expect to see a continued police presence in the area while inquiries are carried out.

“We would like to thank members of the public for their patience and understanding.”