Cumbria: Llamas on loose on A66 bring traffic to a standstill

A herd of llamas and alpacas that escaped from a farm and halted traffic on a main road have been returned home safely.

About 30 of the animals made a break from farm shop Basecamp North Lakes, near Troutbeck in Cumbria, and fled on to the A66 on Monday evening.

Owner Terry Barlow said he "ran out the door" after a customer buying sausages "casually told him" about the escape.

His team blocked the road while they shepherded the animals to safety.

Staff at parent company Alpacaly Ever After said a vehicle had crashed into a 7ft (2m) fence at their site and had left a "gaping hole", before driving off without reporting it.

Mr Barlow said: "Once the alpacas and llamas spotted the hole, they were too nosey to not go and explore.

"Then a customer came into the farm shop and casually said 'oh, your alpacas and llamas are running up the A66. Anyway, I've come to buy some of your sausages'.

"By the time we reached the road there were about 30 of them happily walking towards Penrith."

Mr Barlow said a vehicle had been driven into the fence which led to the herd escaping

Mr Barlow said their "most confident llama" was "in her element" and had "introduced herself to every car".

Rebecca Remmer, who filmed the procession of camelids, said she and her husband were travelling to Appleby when the traffic came to a stop.

She said her husband got out and helped round up the loose llamas and alpacas.

"That's something you don't see everyday," she added.

Cumbria police said the shop staff had returned the animals back to their field before officers were sent out.

It said it was not aware of any reports of damage to the farm fence.