Police take steps to halt progress of small car carrying long ladder

Police in Cambridgeshire have rung in the new year by stopping a car with a rather insecure load.

A tweet from the Cambridgeshire police department showed a Nissan Micra parked at the side of the A47 near Thorney Toll, Cambridgeshire.

The car had an unusual feature – an enormous ladder protruding from its back. The equipment appeared to be more outside the car than in it, despite touching the front windscreen.

Police appeared fairly light-hearted about the issue, commenting: “Don’t think this was a good idea.”

Followers on Twitter were quick to see the lighter side, too. One had a clever pun, saying: “What car do you drive? A Skoda? No, a Lada…” while another suggested that the driver might be “taking stupidity to new heights”.

Strangely enough, it wasn’t the load itself that the police took issue to, as it’s legal to have equipment overhanging your vehicle. However, it needs to be securely fastened and if it protrudes more than a certain amount it must have high-visibility markings.

A spokesperson for Cambridgeshire police said that a male drive was reported for a traffic offence and given words of advice at the roadside.