Morning gym-goers stunned as runaway chickens hitch 15-mile lift up M6 to Leyland

Early morning gym-goers in Leyland were met with a baffling sight after a flock of chickens hitched a 15-mile ride up the M6.

Grandad Wayne Erfmann, 41, had driven from Manor Farm in Ince to Gymetc in Leyland for an early workout, completely unaware he was carrying five feathered stowaways in his skip truck.

The birds had bedded down under the skip before his trip and managed to travel the entire journey without incident. The first the builder and farmer knew of their cross-border escapade was stepping outside after his workout to find familiar faces pecking around the Leyland car park.

Wayne said: “The chickens have plenty of proper places where they could sleep, including sheds, but for some reason they have taken to getting underneath the skip.

“Knowing this, I do check it before setting off anywhere, but on this occasion they must have been particularly well hidden so I missed them.

“I set off at 5.30am to go to Gymetc in Leyland for a work-out, and when I came out afterwards at about 7.15am I saw five of my chickens in the car park.

“I knew they were mine straight away, - and how they’d got there.”

None of the adventurous birds attempted to leap out on the motorway, and all were uninjured following their trip.

Wayne lured two of the birds with food, safely storing them in his cab while heading to work, before returning later with friends to round up another pair.

However, one crafty hen managed to evade capture, dodging repeated rescue attempts by Wayne and amused members of the Leyland gym.

Wayne said: “We might eventually give up trying to catch it and let the gym keep it as a mascot.

“I will definitely be making a more thorough check of my skip lorry before setting off anywhere in future. I don’t want all this rigmarole happening again.”

He laughed: “I’ve already earned myself the nickname of ‘The Chicken Man’ because of this.”