A motorist 'in a hurry to collect furniture' tried to bypass diversions by driving on the hard shoulder.

Officers said the cordon was in place so workers could clear the M65 carriageway of debris just before 4pm today (January 23).

A police spokesperson said: “Thank you to everyone who waited patiently as we implemented some temporary closures on the M65 near Burnley and Nelson in order to protect officers clearing carriageway flooding as a result of Storm Jocelyn

 “Unfortunately, one driver didn’t want to wait and breached the block by driving along the hard shoulder, his excuse being that he was in a rush to collect some furniture. He was stopped and reported for the offence.

“We use rolling road blocks to create a safe working area for staff and we only keep them on for as long as necessary.

"We accept that there will be a degree of inconvenience but safety will always be the priority.”