A huge 30ft-wide sinkhole has forced residents to be evacuated from their homes.

The opening appeared in the ground in Plains, North Lanarkshire, on Wednesday morning and expanded into a massive crater throughout the day.

Residents in Moffat View were forced to flee their properties after the 30ft-wide and 10f- deep hole expanded to just yards from their gardens.

The residents have been told they cannot return home until the crater is repaired to ensure their safety.

A spokesman for North Lanarkshire Council said: "We have taken the decision to evacuate the three properties at the end of Moffat View to ensure the safety of the residents of those properties.

"Our partners at Scottish Fire and Rescue and Scottish Gas Networks are satisfied that there is no risk from gas and we have consulted with Scottish Water.

"We have fenced off the end of Moffat View to ensure no-one can approach the area of the hole in the road.

"We are consulting with technical specialists about our next course of action. Once they have completed their work we will act quickly on their findings."