A11: Norfolk police stinger punctures tyres after falling from car

Stingers are often used by police to puncture the tyres of vehicles during a pursuit

A police stinger that was accidentally left on the roof of a patrol car fell on to a dual carriageway and punctured the tyres of four vehicles, a force has said.

The incident happened on the A11 at Spooner Row, near Wymondham, Norfolk on Sunday.

The road was closed while the vehicles were recovered or repaired.

Norfolk Constabulary said no-one was injured in the "unfortunate incident" and that drivers would be compensated.

It apologised for the distress caused.

A spokesperson added: "The incident has been reviewed internally and words of advice have been given to the officers involved. No further action will be taken.

"The stinger hadn't been deployed prior to this incident, it had been accidentally left on the roof by officers checking the equipment in the vehicle."

Stingers are often used by police to puncture the tyres of vehicles during a pursuit. They are thrown into the road by officers at the roadside.

'Luckily no-one crashed'

A lorry driver who regularly uses the A11 said he was forced to swerve out of the way of the stinger to avoid going over it. He wanted to remain anonymous.

"I was travelling towards Snetterton from Norwich when I noticed something in the road," he said.

"At first I thought it was a rectangular piece of cupboard, because you always see rubbish on the road, but then I saw what it was.

"I swerved on to the hard shoulder and so did the car in front, but I looked in my rear-view mirror and about four cars went over it. Luckily no-one crashed."

A 5.3 mile (8.5km) stretch of the A11 near Wymondham fully reopened last month after 15 months of reconstruction work costing £65m.