PORTLAND residents are being urged to make way for wide load vehicles travelling to the Verne prison.

Two cranes and 22 shipping containers are to be transported to the island tomorrow at an unspecified time, destined for HMP Verne.

The delivery has been arranged by the prison. Dorset Council, the Highways authority, was notified about the situation on Tuesday and said that the prison service has written to residents of Verne Common Road to warn them to keep the road clear.

A Dorset Council spokesman said: “The Prison contacted us yesterday (Tuesday) about 22 shipping containers and two cranes being delivered to the prison on Thursday.

"They asked our assistance since due to lockdown there is a lot of on-street parking. With this short notice there isn’t a lot we can help with. They decided to do a letter drop to residents in the hope that they would keep the road clear.”