Council chiefs are investigating after a lorry spilled a large quantity of animal waste across a road.

South Street, in Keighley, was turned into a putrid mess after a lorry shed its load on Tuesday afternoon.

The incident happened shortly after 4pm, forcing police officers to close the road from the High Street roundabout to the junction with Worth Way.

Firefighters also attended the scene and traffic was diverted, creating rush-hour chaos across the town.

The spillage occurred near South Street’s junction with Goulbourne Street, leaving a large part of the north-bound lane covered in a thick, slippery layer of chicken parts.

Now, an investigation is under way into how the accident happened.

Angela Brindle, Bradford Council Environmental Health Manager, said: “Our officers are investigating the animal waste spillage on South Street, Keighley, and we will be taking appropriate action against those responsible.”

Fred Clarke, landlord of the nearby King’s Head pub, said it was not the first time such a spillage had happened in the area.

He said: “We had one a couple of years ago. That was in the summer so it reeked. You’d think they’d be able to design these containers to stop it happening.”

Eyewitness Barkat Ali, owner of Azeem’s Restaurant, said he and his staff saw the mess a few minutes after the accident when they arrived to start work.

Speaking at the time of the incident, Ingrow resident Roy Marsden said: “It’s pretty unpleasant, but at least there’s not much of a smell, maybe because it’s so cold.

“I wouldn’t want to be one of the people who has to clean it all up.”

Workers were continuing to shovel the waste into a metal container an hour-and-a-half after the accident and the road remained closed to traffic.