Daftest hard shoulder stops revealed

DRIVERS have illegally stopped on motorway hard shoulders for all sorts of barely believable reasons, according to a list from the Highways Agency

Some of the dumb and dumber reasons include picking flowers, renewing insurance policies and even trying to sell their car.

One motorist pulled over after seeing "Fire" on his dashboard display, but fortunately for his car it turned out to be the name of an Adele track he was listening to.

On another occasion, traffic officers found two cars on the hard shoulder, with the owners halfway through the selling and buying process for one of the cars.

The Highways Agency list of bizarre reasons for stopping also included the case of a couple who, when asked if they had broken down, replied they were taking pictures of their newborn grandchild in their open-top sports car as it was "a lovely day".

Other illegal stops have included:

:: A motorist who parked up and fell asleep on the M6;

:: A group of motorcyclists who parked on the hard shoulder on the M1 to review their route and have a drink;

:: A mobile phone operator, stopping at regular intervals in his private car carrying out signal tests on the hard shoulder.

The agency said that between July and September 2013, a total of 2,062 drivers stopped on the hard shoulder when there was no emergency – hence illegally.

By Press Association reporter