The busy A606 came to a temporary standstill on Saturday afternoon when rural 'bleat' officer PC Laurie Appleton helped herd a trio of sheep to safety.

Leicestershire Police received a call from a member of the public who spotted the three woollybacks loitering by the side of the road.

PC Joe Lloyd and colleague PC Laurie Appleton responded to the call, with PC Appleton enlisting the help of a farmer contact to assist with the sheep wrangling.

"Animals loose in the road happens quite a lot as we have a large sheep farming community," PC Lloyd told Oakham Nub News.

"The sheep find gaps in the hedges and slip through and when we arrived this group was standing quietly at the side of the road.

"I waited in the car and sent the best man for the job - rural bleat officer PC Appleton - to deal with the escapees.

"While it started off well, the sheep started to get a bit lively and going towards the road.

"Laurie dealt with the traffic, slowing and stopping vehicles for the safety of road-users and the farmer, while the farmer herded them back into the field.

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"He knew whose sheep they were and let him know what happened."

While, fortunately, there were no ramifications on this occasion, PC Lloyd advises anyone who sees escaped sheep by the roadside to contact police.

"Loose sheep can be a danger and we have to ensure they don't create traffic issues," he added.