Police pull over what appears to be a boat driving down a motorway – but find it’s a motorbike

A motorbike made to look like a boat by being covered in gaffer tape and fibre glass was stopped by police on the motorway – before shocked officers discovered the vehicle was road legal and let its driver continue their journey.   

The odd-looking contraption and its driver were flagged down on the M1 in Bedfordshire at around 8.30 on Sunday evening. 

But after officers from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire roads policing unit discovered that the vehicle was taxed and had a valid MOT and insurance, its driver was allowed to continue. 

An officer on the unit’s Twitter account said: ‘The most unusual vehicle I’ve stopped on a motorway in my 26 years! 

‘All checked and in order, although still not convinced I know what it is,’ the officer in control of the account posted.

While some said the vehicle was reminiscent of the Messerschmitt bubble cars prevalent in the mid 20th century, others suggested it looked like a Quasar motorbike from the 1980s.

The latter was closer to the truth – Bedfordshire Police said it transpired to be a motorbike with a shell made mostly of fibreglass and plastic around it.

Pictures showed the white contraption with handlebars underneath a plastic canopy and what appeared to be supermarket food shopping in the back.  

Equally confused drivers have since left hilarious comments on the tweet with one person calling it a ‘deathtrap’.

Confused drivers have since left hilarious comments on the tweet with one person calling it a ‘deathtrap’

Another Twitter user noted how the bike looked like a cross between a plane cockpit and a small boat

Twitter user Paul Whitehead noted how the strange vehicle appeared to be carrying food shopping from Co-Op supermarket

They wrote: ‘I wouldn’t be driving that thing on a motorway. Looks like a deathtrap!’

Another wrote: ‘This was on a M O T O R W A Y…??? I don’t know whether to be appalled or impressed by the bravery of the driver.’

Someone else said: ‘Now that really is breaking away from any convention! I like it.’

Sergeant Stephen Andrews, from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Roads Policing Unit, said: ‘This is certainly not a vehicle that is seen very often on our roads but after road side inspection we couldn’t find anything that would prevent the rider to continue his journey.

‘The vehicle was keeping up with other traffic and didn’t cause any obstruction to other road users.

‘The owner made sure that he fulfilled all the safety regulation as well as keeping the insurance, MOT and tax in date.’