Lorry leaves 'trail of destruction' in police chase along the M1

The ‘suspicious’ lorry was initially spotted by Derbyshire traffic officers who followed it northbound along the M1.

South Yorkshire officers joined the convoy as it travelled north and overlook the LGV to deploy a ‘stop stick’ close to Junction 39 for Wakefield.

But the force said officers were left ‘dumbfounded’ when the lorry, despite having flat tyres, left the motorway, travelled a short distance around Durkar before rejoining the M1 and driving the wrong way along the southbound carriageway.

The lorry left the M1 at junction 41 and made its way to Leeds, where West Yorkshire traffic officers joined the operation.

South Yorkshire Police said the lorry left ‘a trail of destruction of road signs and gouges in the tarmac’.

The force said the ‘chaos eventually came to an end’ when the driver lost traction on a uphill stretch of road.

Both occupants ran from the lorry and hid in gardens but were tracked down and arrested.

As Taser was deployed as officers made the arrests.

South Yorkshire Police said: “Thankfully, no innocent members of society were injured and the driver has some interesting questions to answer today.”