Giant billboard warning over Theresa May's Saudi Arabia 'handshake' causes traffic jams on M4

Boards appear overnight branding message: 'Saudis and May bloody handshake = more terrorism'

Highways England confirmed the politically motivated boards were seen by motorists moving eastbound on Junction 7 of the M4, before they were removed by police at around 10am (Getty)

Drivers on the motorway faced major delays after a giant billboard warning about Theresa May and Saudi Arabia mysteriously appeared overnight.

Tailbacks were caused on the M4 on Wednesday morning after two 6ft by 10ft signs were erected, branding the message: “Saudis and May’s bloody handshake = more terrorism”.

Highways England confirmed the politically motivated boards were seen by motorists moving eastbound on Junction 7 of the M4, before they were removed by police at around 10am.

A spokesperson for Highways England told The Independent they were unable to share photographs of the billboards because of the nature of the message.

Motorists reported that vehicles were slowing down to read the boards. One driver, Chris, from Bristol, told The Independent he was in slow-moving traffic for around 40 minutes before he drove past the large billboards.

“They must have been 15 foot across – so pretty big. They were staggered slightly so you read it as you went past. They were painted black and they had big white writing on them. And I think there was a graffiti tag as well,” Chris said.

“I’d been sat in traffic for half an hour or 40 minutes getting quite annoyed, but when I saw that it was worth it and it made my day.

“As soon as you got past it, everything sped up again. That must have got that message to, what, 60,000 cars that go down that bit of M4 in the morning.

"There’s no way that was a bit of slow traffic. I know that road really well. That’s what everything was slowing down for.”

Another driver tweeted: “The bill boards on the M4 by J7W, causing the traffic, said Saudi and May handshake = more terrorism. 2 big boards!!”

A Thames Valley Police spokesperson said: "We received a call at 7.57am this morning reporting that a sign had been erected on private land and the land owner is taking the sign down."

Ms May has staunchly defended the continued sale of British arms to Saudi Arabia despite the country facing accusations of war crimes and evidence extremist Islamist groups have received funding from within the country, insisting close ties “keep people on the streets of Britain safe”.