The police, traffic and "suspicious" materials.

[Workingman]

For the second time in only a few days a major motorway has been closed for several hours whilst the police and other agencies deal with some "suspicious" material left on the motorway.

The thinking behind the actions of these agencies must be that these materials are somehow dangerous and planted for a purpose - improvised explosive devices (IOD). That must be what drives these operations. They obviously have a duty to protect the public, but.... The country, its people and businesses need these roads open, and open as soon as possible.

I can see no possible reason why the roads cannot be temporarily closed, Bomb Disposal to go in, use the robot to drag the "object" into the open, carry out a controlled explosion, sweep the crap off the road and get things moving again. If it was an IOD then forensics will offer clues, if it was a bag or rags some charity shop is going short for things to put on the 50p rack.

It does not really matter, we need the roads open and opened in short order.

The way things are currently being dealt with it would only take a handful of "devices" to be placed at strategic points on the motorway network to bring the whole country to a standstill.

[AliasAggers]

The people who have to make the decisions on these matters have a difficult job, and they have to
take into account the possibly disastrous results if they make the wrong decision. I think we should
refrain from criticising them. An hours delay on a road journey is better than an early death, surely?

[miasmum]

I don't think anyone would complain about an hour Aggers, but the M1 was closed in both directions last Tues for 9 hours. That's far too long. Operations were cancelled because surgeons were stuck. There must be a way as Frank says of sorting this more quickly

[JoM]

I don't think anyone would complain about an hour Aggers, but the M1 was closed in both directions last Tues for 9 hours. That's far too long. Operations were cancelled because surgeons were stuck. There must be a way as Frank says of sorting this more quickly

Wasn't it the M3 which was closed in both directions for 11 hours yesterday as well?

[miasmum]

I hadn't realized it was for that long Jo, but yes that was yesterday. We got off the M4 earlier to avoid being caught up in the backlash

[molly]

I don't think anyone would complain about an hour Aggers, but the M1 was closed in both directions last Tues for 9 hours. That's far too long. Operations were cancelled because surgeons were stuck. There must be a way as Frank says of sorting this more quickly

Wasn't it the M3 which was closed in both directions for 11 hours yesterday as well?

Yes it was but what I find so odd is that the package was found at about 4.30 in the morning so why was the motorway at a standstill, why were diversions not put in place before the busier traffic started.

[Suff]

We used to be very good at this because it happened regularly. However a decade or so of relative quiet and "risk averse" becomes a way of life. One time they are going to do this and people are going to die on the way to hospital because of the traffic mess.

Only then, I think, will that approach be reviewed.

[Workingman]

Those were the incidents I was referring to.

Moly makesa good point: 9 - 11 hours from the early hours is far too long and the police are going to have to look at their standard operating procedures (SOPs) for dealing with such issues. That is not criticism, it is common sense.

The police have been very light on the nature of these "devices" and that leads me to believe that they were not "bombs" planted by terrorists, but more like stuff just dumped in order to get rid.

However, any nut jobs out there can see a cheap and cheerful way of bringing the country to a standstill unless the SOPs change. Four or five devices placed at pinch poins would do the job.

[TheOstrich]

Bring back hanging for fly-tippers ......