Lorry sheds it load of glass bottles near M56

Aug 15 2008 by Laurie Stocks-Moore, Chester Chronicle

HUNDREDS of green bottles closed a motorway slip road for four hours when they smashed after falling off a lorry.

The vehicle shed its load of empty bottles on the A5117 slip road towards Stanlow at junction 14 of the M56 westbound at 5pm on Tuesday.

It left shattered glass strewn 300 yards along two lanes of the road as the bottles that remained were seen bulging from the side of the vehicle.

Cheshire Police were called to the incident at 5.07pm.

As it was on a slip road and not the motorway, the Highways Agency said it would not send its Incident Support Unit.

So police requested the assistance of street sweepers and council staff to clear the scene.

Police spokeswoman Rachel Hayes said: “We attended and the road was eventually cleared.

“Two lanes were closed while road sweepers went up and down the carriageway.

“An internal investigation is being carried out by the company as to how the lorry was loaded.”