Motorists were hit with long delays this morning (Thursday) when a load of dead chickens spilled into two lanes on the M62 .
It . Commuters heading westbound were forced to drive through the dead birds until officers from Highways England and West Yorkshire Police 's Roads Policing Unit were able to get to the scene and begin the clean up.
Chicken carcasses had littered lanes one and two, as well as part of the entry slip road from the Junction 27 Retail Park.
Lane one of three on the main carriageway and lane one of two on the slip road were closed from around 8.30am until just before midday.
This allowed for the clean up of the dead birds and the recovery of the lorry, which had stopped on the hard shoulder a few hundred yards ahead.
Long queues built up as drivers squeezed past the gruesome scene in the two outside lanes. Motorists reported a "horrible" stench caused by the dead birds.
At its height the slow moving traffic stretched back over seven miles, beyond junction 30 for Oulton. Traffic data firm Inrix said motorists had been calling in to complain they had been stuck in the jam for more than two hours.
In their desperation to avoid long delays some drivers attempted to double back on M62 entry slip roads. West Yorkshire Police tweeted two cases in which drivers had been caught in the act and would be facing prosecution.
Visit our homepage for more of the biggest talking points across Leeds.
LeedsLive has launched a WhatsApp group to keep you up to date with the latest news! Click here to join and follow the instructions on your phone. Your number won't be shared with anyone else in the group.
