Warning after football played on M5 during crash closure

Sarah Turnnidge

BBC News, West of England

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Police and National Highways have urged people to stay in their cars in similar incidents

Officials have urged people stuck in traffic to remain in their cars after a video of people playing football on a closed motorway was shared online.

The clip, which shows a group of people kicking a ball while others walk on the deserted carriageway, was taken on Saturday at Junction 11 of the M5, which lies between Cheltenham and Gloucester.

A motorcyclist was injured in a crash with a lorry at around 15:25 BST, with traffic held to allow emergency services – including an air ambulance – to access the scene.

In response to the video, a spokesperson for Gloucestershire Police said: “The Highway Code states pedestrians must not be on motorways or slip roads except in an emergency.

“Anyone being on a carriageway is a safety risk, and alongside this, it could lead to delays for when roads are able to be reopened,” they added.

As well as people on the empty side of the carriageway, the video shared on Facebook showed people sitting and standing along the central reservation near their cars.

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The road was closed after a motorcyclist was injured in a crash on Saturday afternoon

“Although we appreciate that being sat inside a vehicle, especially in warmer weather, is not ideal or always comfortable for people, our biggest concern is both the safety of members of the public and emergency services who are trying to respond to and deal with an incident,” Gloucestershire Police said.

A spokesperson for National Highways also warned road users to avoid leaving their cars during similar incidents.

“The motorway can be a dangerous place and particularly during road closures the dangers are not always obvious,” they said.

“We strongly urge people who find themselves in a queue on the motorway to remain in their vehicles for their own safety and also to ensure no delays are caused to emergency and National Highway vehicles needing access to the incident scene,” they added.

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