Why 1,000 chickens crossed the road

A busy dual carriageway was closed in both directions yesterday after up to 1,000 chickens tried to cross the road.

A busy dual carriageway was closed in both directions yesterday after up to 1,000 chickens tried to cross the road.

The birds escaped from a lorry on to the busy A420 just outside Oxford after a collision involving another lorry and three cars at 9.50am.

A Thames Valley police spokesman said six RSPCA officers were on their way to the scene to help catch the birds, enabling police to concentrate on dealing with the accident, in which one person was seriously hurt and three others received minor injuries.

The road was closed between the Botley interchange and Cumnor.