Police officers were gobsmacked when they stopped a lorry only to find a van protruding from the back. The Nottinghamshire Police were left scratching their heads at the sight, deeming it a complete novelty.

A massive 7.3-metre-long Mercedes Sprinter van was jammed in so that its rear end stuck out precariously over the edge of the lorry while it trundled down the M1. Spotted by eagle-eyed undercover cops on April 2 during a routine crackdown on dangerous driving, the reckless motorist found himself nabbed on the spot.

The driver was consequently slapped with a traffic offence report for manoeuvring an overweight vehicle and breaching Tachograph regulations. PC Mike Grant, a veteran of Nottinghamshire Police's road traffic unit, confessed: "I've seen a lot of things on the motorway before, but this was definitely a first."

He lectured, "For good reason there are clear rules in place about the safe transportation of vehicles and other heavy and oversized loads."

He gravely noted, "People who breach those rules are putting themselves and other road users in danger and will always be met with a firm policing response."

The scene ended with the police ensuring the van's removal before seizing both vehicles. The incident occurred amidst Operation Tramline, which saw over 78 vehicles pulled up for traffic violations from March 31 to April 4.