Story By: Michael Leidig, Sub-Editor: Angjela Trajkovska, Agency: Central European News

Austrian motorway officials prevented a tragedy when they stopped this mini tractor with a top speed of just 6 mph travelling down a busy motorway.

The incident happened on the A22 motorway as it meets the banks of Danube River in the Austrian capital Vienna.

The mini tractor, which was also equipped with a snow shovel and a salt shaker, has a maximum speed of 10 km/h (6mph) making it illegal for travel on the motorway.

The men, who stopped the tractor, worked for the state motorway maintenance and management company Asfinag and called police who questioned the 53-year-old driver before escorting him off the motorway.

The driver claimed he had simply followed the navigation system and had no idea he was going onto a motorway with the slow-moving vehicle.

Police took down his details and he will face possible court action and a fine over the incident.