Learner driver pulled over on M62 - accompanied only by her pet parrot

But West Yorkshire Police were in for a shock when they discovered that the only thing accompanying one learner on her trip down the M62 was her pet parrot.

The force’s Road Policing Unit stopped the woman near junction 22 of the M62 eastbound on Sunday.

She was alone aside from the bird.

Provisional drivers are only allowed to drive while accompanied by a qualified driver and are not supposed to drive on motorways at all.

Officers confiscated the 4x4 car from the driver, who will be dealt with for motoring offences including speeding.

The unit attracted attention after posted details of the incident on their Twitter account.

Chief Inspector Mark Bownass of West Yorkshire Police said: “The rules of the road exist for a very good reason and it is important to remember that if this lady had been in a crash or incident she would not have been covered by insurance as she was not licensed for the journey.

“Anyone who takes to the roads as a learner must be accompanied by a qualified driver, have a good understanding of the Highway Code and also make sure they are covered by the qualified drivers insurance policy.”

He added: “We’ve been really pleased by the success of the roads policing twitter account and would encourage twitter users to sign up.

“Our officers do update regularly about items of interest on our roads and it can be among the first sources of information about breaking news items such as motorway incidents or road closures.

“The account can be found at @WYP_RPU and its quick and easy to sign up and begin following the team.”