How many men does it take to rescue a 40ft lorry from a country lane?

Some lorry drivers a real stick in the mud... One hapless Polish man found himself at the mercy of the residents of a Cheshire village, who joined together in a 24-hour battle to free his 40ft articulated lorry after he followed his Sat Nav into a dead end.

The truck ended up on a dirt track in the village of Higher Sutton, Cheshire, after the driver ignored warning signs the road was not suitable for HGVs, and blindly followed the instructions of his Sat Nav.

A team of 10 workers from a specialist recovery team spent more than 15 hours digging out earth from the road to break the lorry free.

One local farmer even offered the use of his digger, while other locals kept up the workers' spirits with sandwiches and coffee.

Police were called to the scene at about 9am last Tuesday, and called out recovery firm The Mansfield Group.

The truck, which was registered in Warsaw, Poland, had been on its way to deliver industrial yarn to the textiles firm Hardings.

The lorry was finally released in the early hours of Wednesday morning, and carried on its way with undamaged goods inside.

Local councillor Hilda Gaddum said this was a common occurrence, telling the Daily Mail: "It's an ongoing problem and I'm very worried about it. These lorries are blindly following Sat Navs and are ignoring signs and weight restrictions.

"It's not fair on residents who end up with their roads blocked. And I am concerned about pedestrians and cyclists potentially being hit, as well as the damage being done to walls.

"The police do what they can, but I think tough action such as impounding some of the lorries, if there is the power to do it, would really send a message out. And firms should have to pay for any damage caused."

Police said a wall had been damaged in the rescue, and both The Mansfield Group and Hardings declined to comment