Police and farmers have joined forces to help corral a cow which wandered onto the M6 motorway.

The Central Motorway Police Group (CMPG), which covers the Staffordshire and West Midlands Police force areas, said the cow found itself on the M6 near Doxey, Staffordshire, late on Tuesday night after “idiots forced and left a farmer’s gate open”.

According to the CMPG, officers corralled the cow off the road before Highways England officials and a group of local farmers helped to ensure “she was safely walked off the network and back home after an exciting night out”.

The CMPG said: “Many thanks to the drivers held up as we shut the carriageway, your patience as we deal with these and other incidents is greatly appreciated.”