Drivers in Ipswich this morning suspected a royal visitor might be on the county’s roads after a motorcade was seen – but instead it was police VIP escort training.

Our arts editor Andrew Clarke was one of the motorists to see the procession as he came off the Orwell Bridge around 9.30am.

He said: “At 9.30 am I was driving off the Orwell Bridge, up the slip road towards the Manningtree/Wherstead roundabout.

“In my rear view mirror I saw blue flashing lights on a police motorcycle moving at some speed followed by a second and then a third.

“They soon overtook me and parked in the middle of the road, lights flashing, blocking all exits, quickly followed by two BMWs surrounded by outriders with blue flashing lights who sped by, went straight over the roundabout and continued down the opposite slip road towards the Copdock junction.

“As soon as the motorcade had gone and police motorcycles sped off, over took the cars, presumably to shut down the next roundabout. The whole thing took less than a minute.

“It’s one way to beat rush hour traffic.”

A spokesman for Suffolk police confirmed the motorcade was a training exercise for when VIPs visit the area.

He added that police officers would have been inside the important cars in the motorcade.