A NEWPORT recovery firm boss is demanding to know why police banned him from recovering an overturned lorry that caused traffic chaos.

Thousands of motorists suffered long delays after the scrap metal lorry overturned and spilled its load on the city's Southern Distributor Road.

The mess took four and a half hours to clean up, but Walls Recovery, who were first on the scene, were prevented from helping by police. Instead Chris Spiteri and Son, who were on the police authorised rota, later carried out the work.

Walls' owner, John Wall, said the firm has a contract with Ringway, the firm contracted to look after the SDR.

He said: "We have a contract that requires us to remove anything that obstructs the road - anything from sweeping the road to a situation like this. We have been doing it for two years."

A spokeswoman for Ringway said the firm automatically calls Walls to all accidents that happen on the SDR.

She added: "We would only normally stand off if police wanted to collect evidence from the scene, but that didn't happen in this case."

Mr Wall claimed the firm has been called out by Gwent Police to clear the road on three similar occasions in the last year. He said they were: February 15, 2005, lorry overturned near the Transporter Bridge. July 28, 2005, truck overturned on the SDR near Ringland. March 27, 15-ton metal slab fell off a lorry near the docks.

Mr Wall said he now plans to bill Gwent Police between £500 and £600, and bill them a further £800 for loss of revenue, and added: A Gwent Police spokeswoman said: "A major obstruction to a trunk road has to be recovered under the statutory recovery agreement, which is law."