Van driver in M6 Toll protest

A van driver blocked a booth on the M6 Toll protesting that misleading signs had left him on the motorway by accident.

Frank Patterson used his van to block a kiosk on the main carriageway plaza at Great Wyrley for almost an hour yesterday.

Mr Patterson was eventually moved on by police.

He was heading home to Chorley, Lancashire, at around 12.30pm on the A5 trying to avoid the toll and planning to get on to the M6 near Cannock.

As he headed toward Brownhills he turned right at the traffic lights following a sign saying "M6 North, M6 Toll" thinking he would end up on the M6. Instead he ended up joining the toll road at junction T6 and before he knew it was at the main carriageway toll plaza.

At first he refused to pay the £9 charge and blocked a kiosk booth. He was ordered to pay and was moved on by the police at around 1.35pm.

Mr Patterson said: "I ended up on the M6 toll road because the junction at the traffic lights were mis-signed and misleading."

Max Estevez, a spokesman for Midland Expressway Limited, said all signage on the approaches to the M6 Toll was designed and approved by the Highways Agency and was correct and legal.

He added that the agency was in the process of a redesign scheme for the signs.