Police shut a busy A-road after a woman fell from a bridge onto the carriageway below.

Officers received a call this afternoon at around 4pm and closed the A21 at Sevenoaks in both directions.

The road was closed between the A25 for Riverhead and Morleys Roundabout for Hildenborough.

But as the delays stretched on for hours, drivers started to report people walking up and down the highway amid stationary traffic.

One said cars were turning around and driving back the wrong way to escape the queues.

Another said they saw a coach driver backing down an entire lane.

Kent Police tweeted to alert their followers to the ongoing incident and said: "Motorists are urged to avoid the A21 Sevenoaks. Our officers are currently dealing with an incident where a woman is reported to have fallen from a bridge.

"The road is closed in both directions."

A spokesman added: "Kent Police was called 3.37pm following reports that a woman had fallen from a bridge over the A21 near Sevenoaks.

"Officers and South East Coast Ambulance Service are currently at the scene.

"Both carriageways have been closed between the junctions with the A25 near Riverhead and Morley’s roundabout near Hildenborough."

Police tweeted just after 7pm that south-bound traffic at the closure was being released and efforts were being made to clear the bottlenecks.

It was not fully reopened until after 9pm.