Drivers in Cambridgeshire were given a bizarre reason for running late after a giant inflatable Father Christmas blocked traffic.

The Santa Claus escaped its moorings and floated across the B198 Cromwell Road in Wisbech, blocking it in both direction from 1.30pm on Tuesday.

Footage taken by taxi driver Muhammad Fareed shows the buoyant Saint Nicholas causing the gridlock.

Cromwell road Wisbech heavy traffic πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚

Posted by Muhammad Fareed on Tuesday, November 27, 2018

The inflatable was not caught until around 5pm, three and a half hours later, according to traffic logs reported by Cambridgeshire Live.

Mr Fareed, from Peterborough, told the BBC the giant Santa broke free from a house’s front garden on Cromwell Road.

β€œI saw it wobble and then come down on to the road – it did raise a smile,” he said. β€œIt was massive, bigger than my seven-seater car.”

β€œIt was one of the more unusual reasons to be stuck in traffic.”