Most of Old Exeter Road in Tavistock remains closed to traffic today (Wednesday June 7) after an incident involving a man hurting himself early this morning.

Police cordoned off a 20m section of the road next to and under an old railway bridge and were treating the site as a crime scene as detectives began an investigation. Dog walkers were not allowed through, but walkers and runners were allowed access through the police tape as a police officer stood guard and a detective questioned residents.

Emergency services were called by locals and a man was taken away after treatment at the scene at about 3am.

Residents spoke today of being woken in the early hours of today by a man shouting out for help and bangs on their windows.

They ran to his aid, but were wary because he was shouting and throwing sticks and stones.

One resident said: 'We were woken up about 3ish to a lot of shouting and bangs on our widows and doors. I went to see what was happening and this man was lying on the ground. He didn't seem to have a mobile phone and called us to get an ambulance. So my wife called 999. The police got here first and then the ambulance and he was treated by paramedics and taken away.'

A neighbour said the man seemed to have got into her garden and fallen down the bank up to the garden. She said: 'We don't know why he was there and what he was doing. He seemed to have hurt himself.'

Another resident said: 'We think he was throwing sticks and stones and shouting to get attention for someone to call for help as he probably didn't have a phone.'

Devon and Cornwall Police issued the following statement: 'Police were notified just after 3.10am this morning, Wednesday 7 June, to reports of a man in distress on Old Exeter Road in Tavistock.Officers attended the scene and located a man with a head injury. The man was taken to Derriford Hospital. His injuries are not believed to be life-threatening. The road is currently closed whilst officers carry out further enquiries to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the incident.'

A spokesperson for the South Western Ambulance NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) said: 'We were called at 3.34am to an incident in the Tavistock area. We sent a double-crew land ambulance and one individual was taken by land ambulance to Derriford Hospital.'