TRAFFIC came to a halt recently after a dog was seen on the M4 which led to a National Highways traffic officer starting a search.  

The dog was found lying in lane 3 of the M4 westbound near Hungerford and traffic officer David England used a rolling roadblock to stop the traffic and was able to rescue the scared Labrador.

Dave said: “Diesel was so happy to see a friendly face, he jumped into the car after a kiss and a hug.”

Once the dog was safe, he got the traffic moving freely and moved to a safe space so he could check the owner’s details on the dog’s collar.

Dave said: “It was obvious he was pleased to see me. We don’t always get many happy endings when it comes to animals and motorways but thankfully, this was one case that ended well.” 

Diesel’s owner, Gary Middleton said: "We were delighted, obviously, to get Diesel back but were shocked at the fact that he'd got on to the motorway! Our biggest concern, after the event, was what could have happened, causing a major accident or even worse, endangering human life.

“Very luckily for ourselves and Diesel somebody up top must have been looking out for him.” 

National Highways on-road team manager, Richard Wadsworth, added: “All our traffic officers are true professionals, and all their decisions are made with safety and customer service at heart. I am very pleased to say Diesel was safely reunited with his owners, and they were delighted to have him back.”  

Gary concluded: “Dave was brilliant. When we got Diesel back, I was expecting a telling off, but he pointed out that he was okay, nobody was hurt, and all was good. His biggest concern was that he now had dog hair on his seats and could he borrow our vacuum cleaner before handing the vehicle over to the night shift.” 

If anyone spots an animal loose on the strategic road network, they should call National Highways on 0300 123 5000 or the police. 

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