POLICE have released footage to warn of the dangers of disobeying lane closures on motorways.

The video, taken on the M62, shows an emergency vehicle trying to navigate round other vehicles in a lane which is closed.

This is usually indicated by a red cross on overhead signs which are used for traffic flow and to manage incidents.

Jamie Hassall, Highways Agency national enforcement co-ordinator, said in 2015: "It is pretty simple – if you see a red X, don’t drive in that lane.

"If you do, you could collide with a broken down vehicle, or with a traffic officer, emergency service crew or recovery operator working in that lane."

Keeping out of the lane allows the emergency services to resolve crashes and collisions quicker.

But, the footage shows officers having to drive around seven separate vehicles in a closed lane to reach an incident.

PC Martin Willis, who posted the video on Twitter, said: "Whilst the majority of drivers will comply with a [red cross] there are still too many that totally disregard lane closures.

"Driving under a [red cross] could put you or others in danger and can seriously impede emergency service vehicles attending an incident on the motorway."