LORRIES and tankers carrying chemicals were today being pulled off the M62 into Hartshead service station, to be checked by police and safety experts.

The Dangerous Goods Check day was organised to find out if companies responsible for transporting potentially dangerous chemicals by road were meeting all the safety requirements.

Officers were making sure the chemicals being carried matched the orange Hazchem boards, which must, by law, be displayed on the vehicles. The orange panel is seen on the tanker in our picture.

A police spokesman said: "These boards are vital, so that we know how dangerous the load is and who to contact in an emergency at an accident scene."

The lorries were also being checked to make sure they were roadworthy.