Police stopped one of the strangest vehicles seen on Britain's roads - a motorbike gaffer-taped to a look like a boat.

The odd-looking contraption and its driver were flagged down on the M25 near junction 21 between Watford and St Albans on Sunday evening, prompting a somewhat confused tweet from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire roads policing unit.

"The most unusual vehicle I've stopped on a motorway in my 26 years! All checked and in order, although still not convinced I know what it is," the officer in control of the account posted.

The strange automobile appeared to be a three wheeler as some people described it as a cross-over between a small boat and a plane cockpit.

While some said the vehicle was reminiscent of the Messerschmitt bubble cars prevalent in the mid 20th century, others suggested it looked like a Quasar motorbike from the 1980s.

The latter was closer to the truth - police said it transpired to be a motorbike with a shell made mostly of fibreglass and plastic around it.

Equally confused drivers have since left comments on the tweet with one person calling it a "deathtrap".

They wrote: "I wouldn't be driving that thing on a motorway. Looks like a deathtrap!"

Another wrote: "This was on a M O T O R W A Y...??? I don't know whether to be appalled or impressed by the bravery of the driver."

Someone else said: "Now that really is breaking away from any convention! I like it."

Sergeant Stephen Andrews, from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Roads Policing Unit, said: "This is certainly not a vehicle that is seen very often on our roads but after road side inspection we couldn't find anything that would prevent the rider to continue his journey.

"The vehicle was keeping up with other traffic and didn't cause any obstruction to other road users.

"The owner made sure that he fulfilled all the safety regulation as well as keeping the insurance, MOT and tax in date."