Drivers on the M1 are facing major disruption today as a section of the motorway was closed after a dog was reported running loose on the busy road.
A section of the southbound carriageway has been shut, National Highways has confirmed, as police desperately attempt to catch the dog. The closure has caused major disruption on the roads with a section of the M1 closed between Junction 31 for Worksop and Junction 30 for Sheffield. Traffic is also building on surrounding routes as drivers attempt to avoid the road closure. National Highways Yorkshire shared an update on their X account warning drivers of the road closure and urging those setting off to check their route.
The agency shared that the road is closed “due to a dog that is loose and running around the road”. They added that South Yorkshire Police officers “are on scene trying to contain and remove the dog from the road”.
A diversion was put in place with National Highways confirming “traffic officers will be turning traffic around from the rear of the queue in the closure.” In a later update National Highways said the road had reopened, adding: “Closure of the motorway for the dog stood down and traffic has been released. All lanes now open”.
However, the agency warned: “It’ll take time for delays to clear as traffic was held for an extended duration.” Traffic data from Google Maps showed around 4 miles of congestion on the southbound approach to the closure as of midday.
A travel alert from National Highways on the incident stated that “normal traffic conditions are expected between 2pm and 2.15pm on April 9”. The agency added that “there are curerntly delays of 15 minutes against expected traffic.”
A spokesperson for South Yorkshire Police said: “The M1 southbound between J31 Worksop and J30 Sheffield is currently closed. At 9.22am today (April 9, 2025) we received reports of a dog on the southbound carriageway. Officers are currently at the scene attempting to bring the dog to safety.”
It comes after an XL Bully escaped in Sheffield last week having been shot by armed police. Force marksmen opened fire on the dog on Thursday after it became “aggressive” during an investigation into reports of a gun being fired at a property in Daniel Hill Street, Hillfoot.
Testing of blood at the scene confirmed the dog had been shot an injured in the incident, a South Yorkshire Police spokesperon confirmed. While the animal has not yet been found, police said yesterday it was “no longer an immediate risk to local residents.”
THe force spokesperson said attempts to locate the animal were continuing, however, following inquiries over the weekend a force spokeserson said “we do now believe the immediate risk to our communities to be reduced”. The spokesperson added: “We have received no reported sightings of the dog and now believe the risk to the public to be low.”
Officers are still appealing for anyone with any information about the dog’s whereabouts to come forward. Following the initial incident on Thursday, police urged members of the public who spotted the dog not to approach it but to call 999 immediately.
The force said at the time the XL Bully had “the ability to show aggression and cause harm.” The force added that shooting a dog was “never a decision taken lightly by our armed officers.”
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