A DOG running loose along the M65 led highways officers on a merry dance, causing long tailbacks for motorists this afternoon.

Highways Agency officers were alerted to the black whippet-type dog running along both sides of the motorway between junctions three and four, at around 1.20pm.

Team manager Dee Murray said officers, along with police and a dog warden, spent around an hour-and-ten-minutes trying to catch the jet-heeled animal.

Traffic was stopped on the both sides of the motorway, causing long tailbacks.

A rolling road block was introduced before traffic was fully released at around 2.30pm.

Mr Murray said: “At around 1.20pm one of our crews was flagged over by several motorists reporting a dog on the carriageway, close to junction three at Chorley.

“At that point the crew managed to spot a small black whippet-type dog, which was quite fast and running in and out of both carriageways.

“Another crew responded and we had to stop traffic on both carriageways to make sure nobody hit the dog.

“People tend to brake suddenly to avoid hitting animals, so we had to stop traffic to make the area safe.

“There were three of our vehicles, two-to-three police vehicles, further support vehicles, as well as a police dog van and the local council’s dog warden.

“It started at junction three, but by the end it had gone backwards and forwards a distance of around 5km.

“The dog really flew through the people on the carriageway and nobody could catch it.

“In the end, at junction four near Darwen, we managed to channel the dog off the sliproad towards the roundabout.

“We had thought ahead and blocked the area to get hold of the dog, which ran off down the A-roads.

“At that point the dog-owner had arrived to recover it and take it away.”