MORE THAN 46,000 items were left at the side of the UK's motorways over the past 10 months, leading Highways England to urge drivers to "load up safely" before starting a journey.

From surfboards and bicycles to fridges, washing machines and ovens, a total of 5,237 items have been found on South West highways, and 7,311 items on South East Highways between June 2019 and April 2020.

Apart from leaving the owners out of pocket and maybe without a tent for their camping trip, these items pose a big safety risk for other people on the road including the traffic officers who help clear them up. 

Now highway bosses have revealed some of the unusual things they have come across, and drivers have been urged to make sure their loads are safely secured before they set off.

On Road Team Manager Mark Snell, who is based in Hampshire, said: “We have had fence panels, a shed, tools, tool boxes, motorcycle bags and top boxes – the whole contents of one family’s top box was spread all over three lanes as they were on their way to a holiday in the West Country.”

While Rob Penney, Highways England’s South West Network Operations Manager, added: “Shed loads can close a road for several hours as well as putting people at risk, so our advice is simple: Secure your load before you set out. It could prevent an accident and save lives.”

"As well as checking around your vehicle, for tyres, lights, fuel and oil etc, it’s important that people check any load – be it surfboards, bicycles or top boxes – is fastened securely before setting off on their journey - to ensure everyone gets to their destination safe and well."

The most common items dropped on motorways over the past 10 months were building or construction materials.

In the South West, there were 1,002 incidents of building/construction items obstructing major roads, while there were 811 incidents of vehicle parts or accessories found over the same period and 395 household or garden items.