Drivers on the M60 at junction 25 may have been met with a surprise this morning when horses were seen running loose.

At around 5am, National Highways North West reported traffic on the M60 anticlockwise at J25 Bredbury, was stopped temporarily after horses were heading to the motorway.

A spokesman for National Highways North West said: "Police and National Highways have traffic stopped on M60 anticlockwise just prior to J25 due to some horses that are loose and heading on to the motorway."

But this was only for a number of minutes as the all-clear was given.

A spokesman for National Highways North West said: "The block has been released on M60 anticlockwise J25 now.

"The horses have been secured and are now clear of the network."

Last year, The Motorway, a Channel 5 show from the National Highways looking into their day-to-day operations, reported a dead badger on the show.

A spokesman for National Highways said: “The badger had been struck and killed in this particular incident but was still a risk to drivers as it was an obstruction in the carriageway with the risk of drivers swerving and braking.

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“It’s not something you’d want to strike if you are a motorcyclist either.

“Our traffic officers stopped traffic briefly and removed the dead badger to the verge behind the safety barrier.”

National Highways officers said that reports of animals like sheep and stray was common and presented a ‘safety risk’ to road users.