A loose horse led to the closure of the M1 motorway in the early hours of this morning.
Nottinghamshire Police said:
‘We were called shortly after 2am when the horse wandered on to the M1 near Nuthall.
‘It is believed the animal had escaped from a field near junction 26 before entering the carriageway along the slip road.
‘The motorway was closed in both directions until the horse was secured and removed from the road network by police and Highways Agency officers.
‘The closure was lifted at about 6am.
Detective Inspector Kate Savage said: “Loose animals and livestock pose a very clear risk to motorway drivers – particularly during the hours of darkness.
“A decision to close a motorway is never taken lightly, but public safety must always be our number one priority.
“We will now liaise with the landowner to ensure this does not happen again.”
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