Three fly-tippers who were caught on camera dumping their rubbish in a motorway emergency bay ended up being escorted back to the scene by police and forced to pick it all up.
Traffic officers intercepted the group on the M6 on Sunday after Highways Agency CCTV operators spotted them leaving bags of litter on a grass verge.
They then ordered them to drive back to the scene – an emergency refuge area (ERA) between junctions 12 and 13 in Staffordshire – to tidy up their mess.
Central Motorway Police Group (CMPG) officers later posted a picture of the trio on social media to ward off any future offenders, reports the Mirror Online.
They tweeted: "M6 J12 to J13 a eagle eyed @HighwaysWMIDS who was monitoring the CCTV cameras notice the occupants of a Passat dumping rubbish in a ERA bay.
"We intercepted the vehicle M6 J14 to J15 and escorted them back clear their rubbish up.
"Details passed to @EnvAgency."
Highways England Network Operations Manager for the Midlands, James Hawkes, said: “We spotted this blatant and reckless abuse of one of our designated emergency areas on our CCTV system and quickly passed it to the police.
"We continue to work closely with our police colleagues who enforce issues like this.
"Emergency areas are there for just that, an emergency.
"They’re not there for people who fly-tip, which is highly irresponsible and illegal.”
Members of the public quickly responded to the CMPG post, with one saying: "Brilliant! Should have got them to pick up everyone else's rubbish whilst they were there."
Another added: "Hahaha, what a bunch of tools.
"Got everything they deserved, I hope they were fined as well."
A third said: "Instant karma right there - serves you right lads.
"Show us their faces next time."
