Fruit-filled car driven by 'right melon' - police

News imageWest Yorkshire Police Eight large watermelons on the back seat of a car West Yorkshire Police
Drivers in the UK are legally required to ensure any load inside their car is secured

A driver pulled over for not wearing a seatbelt has been branded "a right melon" by police who found eight of the large fruits on the back seat of his car.

West Yorkshire Police stopped the motorist on Legrams Lane in Bradford with the watermelons unsecured behind him.

The force said: "Whilst there is, of course, no seatbelt requirement for ripened fruit, these watermelons typically weigh 16-20lb (7.25-9kg) each and would cause some damage if they started flying around the vehicle in the event of a collision."

Police said the man was reported for the seatbelt offence and the melons were properly secured to prevent injury.

Writing on its Facebook page, the force said: "You'd have to be a right melon not to wear your seatbelt these days!"

Official guidance from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency states it is a strict legal requirement in the UK to ensure any load inside or on top of your car is secured.

If the weight, position or securing of a load causes a danger of injury to any person, the driver can be fined and receive penalty points on their licence.

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