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M1 traffic near Sheffield halted by cows on carriageway

National Highways Traffic camera image of a group of cows walking down the M1National Highways
Highways England is trying to find the gap in the fence where the cows broke through on to the road

A group of cows brought rush-hour traffic to a standstill when they wandered on to the M1.

The animals broke on to the northbound carriageway between Sheffield and Rotherham, National Highways said.

Traffic officers and police were called at about 06:40 BST and stopped traffic between junctions 34 and 35 to enable them to round up some of the animals.

They said the rest of the cows made their way on to the exit slip road towards Rotherham.

National Highways Traffic camera image of cows on the M1 carriagewayNational Highways
A 2-mile queue of traffic built up behind the cows on the northbound carriageway of the M1

There was a two-mile queue of traffic behind the cows before the M1 fully reopened at about 06:55 BST.

A spokesperson for Highways England said they were now "trying to identify the gap in the fence where they got on to the road so it can be repaired".

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