A 130ft lorry which got stuck for 24 hours after turning a corner was on a pre-approved route with a police escort when it became jammed.

The lorry was heading to United House construction site in Skerne Road to deliver 40ft concrete beams for a hotel development when it got wedged turning a corner on Cambridge Road at 8pm on Monday night.

The lorry had to be parked in a bus lane while TfL staff removed the traffic lights so it could turn left into London Road.

It was finally moved 23 hours later at about 7pm last night.

The shipment route, coming from Ireland, had been planned by transport firm EAF Logistics, and agreed by Kingston Police, but had miscalculated the left turn into London Road by 600 millimetres.

Marc Wodehouse, Managing Director of EAF, said the shipment route had to be approved by the government plans and had been nine months in the planning.

“We are carrying out this initial run with the maximum size assembly to ensure that all of the concrete beams could reach site with the minimum disruption to local traffic. “Despite first class driving last night, the traffic lights beat us, albeit temporarily and only by just 600mm.

Chief Inspector David Gair said: “EAF Logistics and all parties agreed that this was very much a live test “We are reassured that they would not have undertaken the run had they not been confident about the route”. Jamie Henderson, 34, was taking videos back to Blockbuster in London Road when he noticed the lorry.

He said: “First I saw around 20 policemen outside the video shop so I had a look round the corner when I saw, what is without doubt, the biggest lorry I have ever seen in my life. It must have been a 100ft long.

“I cannot think what they are going to do with it even if they do get rid of the traffic lights it is bound to get stuck somewhere else.

“Everyone there was just scratching their heads. It certainly did not look like the brains trust was out last night.”

The traffic lights will be in “mobile bins” while the haulage firm make about 12 deliveries to the site for over the next four to five weeks.

The drama led to further congestion as motorists, already backed up because of road works on Wood Street, faced further delays.