Worried motorists phoned 999 after spotting the object on the central reservation near Telford at about 1.40pm.

Police and Highways staff went to investigation and found that it was indeed a missile between Junction 3 for Cosford and Shifnal South and Junction 4 for Tong.

However police there was no need to worry as it was quickly established that the artillery had fallen from a military vehicle which had been transporting it to a museum.

West Mercia Police said that the road was closed for a short time to remove the artillery shell.