POLICE took the unusual step today of ordering an overturned lorry at a motorway interchange to be cut up after attempts to right it failed.

The huge consignment of apple pies the DAF truck was carrying came to a exceedingly sticky end at the Pitmore interchange of the M3 at Eastleigh yesterday and was still causing problems today.

A police spokesman said of the dismantling operation: "It is likely to take until midday. The trailer is having to be cut up because it is completely unstable.

"An attempt was made to right the trailer having unloaded the majority of the apple tarts but it started to disintegrate and the decision was taken to cut it up."

No other vehicle was involved and the 46 year-old driver from Leicester escaped unhurt, apart from a few cuts. A spokesman for Manor Bakeries said that the lorry was on the way from Eastleigh's Mr Kipling factory to the company's distribution centre at Rugby.

But the incident, which happened at about midday, triggered a massive rescue operation to right the lorry. Traffic diversions were set up while the recovery operation was carried out.

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