For police working a long and tiring shift during the hot weather, it might well have been the last straw.

https://twitter.com/SouthNorfPolice/status/1026126147568975872

But these officers were only too glad to roll up and get their hands dirty by clearing away four heavy bales of straw which were blocking a country road.

Even though police are trained to expect the unexpected, officers might have been forgiven for thinking their Sunday afternoon would be spent catching criminals instead of clearing away straw bales blocking the B1527 near Hempnall.

But sure enough, a carriageway clearance vehicle was sent to the scene on the Norfolk and Suffolk border on August 5 to ensure the path was clear for motorists.

South Norfolk Police posted a photograph on Twitter of an officer pushing the bales out of the way, joking: “The vehicle wasn’t required this time. Manpower was all that was needed.”

The incident shows the variety of what police have to deal with on a daily basis, particularly in rural areas.

Officers are obliged to respond to obstructions on roads with a speed limit of 40mph, because the effects can be damage to vehicles or even threats to life.