Stuffed toy causes motorway delay

British police set up a roadblock so they could rescue a cuddly toy from the middle of a motorway and reunite it with its distraught owner.

Motorist Simon Osborn called officers after his 10-year-old daughter, Amy, dropped her toy tiger, Tyrone, out of the car window while they were travelling along the M11, said an Essex Police spokesman.

Constable Al Cuthbertson was patrolling the stretch of road between Stansted and Harlow when he spotted the tiger on the median strip.

A temporary roadblock was put in place to slow traffic down.

A police spokesman said: "Having children of his own and knowing the importance of soft toys to their owners, PC Cuthbertson kept his eyes peeled as he patrolled.

"A short time later, Tyrone was spotted on the motorway and successfully captured."