THERE was rush-hour gridlock for motorists in Ely on Tuesday morning after a tractor dropped its load on the city’s busy level crossing.

Trains coming into the city had to be stopped after the large quantity of farm machinery, believed to be corn threshing equipment, was shed onto the tracks shortly after 6am.

British Transport Police were quickly on scene and stopped the trains coming through the city.

There were delays of more than 30 minutes between King’s Lynn and Ely while the debris was cleared and services returned to normal.

Cambridgeshire police said there were traffic tailbacks in both directions while the equipment was removed from the tracks.