BURY police were the last to know about a two-hour traffic jam - just 200 yards from their headquarters!

Thousands of commuters were brought to a standstill by the early-morning gridlock, caused by a broken-down lorry on the Jubilee Way "roundabout", one of Bury's worst traffic blackspots.

But while fuming rush-hour workers were arriving late, Bury police were blissfully unaware of the commuter chaos outside their multi-storey headquarters.

They say they weren't told about the October 14 traffic jam until 9.30am - by which time the lorry had been moved.

The police explanation, given in writing, brought an angry response from local businessman Derek Calrow.

"Quite frankly, it beggars belief," he said.

According to Inspector John Sargenson, head of Bury's traffic unit, a call was received from a member of the public at around 9.30am. The articulated lorry had broken down at 7.50am.

Insp Sargenson adds: "Despite our best efforts we cannot find every road obstruction and we do rely on information from members of the public."

Said Mr Calrow: "The officer's admission that the first sign of a problem was around 9.30am beggars belief.

"The police force must have been the only people in Bury who didn't know that the traffic system all around was totally log-jammed.

"What annoys me is that they were seemingly unaware of something happening right outside their own police station! A lot of their own workers must have got caught up in it." Mr Calrow has now followed up his original letter of inquiry with an official complaint.

This week Senior Superintendent Paul Blewitt, Bury's Divisional Commander, said the police tried to respond as situations occurred.

"But it can sometimes be difficult to get the balance right," he added. "At the end of the day it's all about priorities.

"Over the past month, during the 'Kill Your Speed' campaign, we have been directing our traffic patrols onto the fast main roads."

And senior staff officer Insp Mike Bennett added: "Most of our staff would already be in work by 8am and would not necessarily have been caught up in the jam. And we do not pay our support staff or police officers to look out of the windows all day. We do rely on the public to inform us of problems."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.