IT WAS LITERALLY snail's pace as two giant ovens - one of the biggest convoys ever to hit Eastleigh - crawled through the town.

The massive cargo - the size of an Eastleigh terraced house - towered over the street scene as it set off from the Pirelli cable-making plant in Leigh Road en route for Southampton Docks.

But the two low-loaders, carrying the ovens - each measuring about 24ft high by 13ft wide by 65ft long and weighing in at roughly 83 tonnes - hit a major obstacle as soon as they left the factory gates.

There was about a 30-minute hold-up as BT engineers had to move cables, and chainsaws were whirring into action as tree surgeons cut back branches.

There was a huge traffic tailback as the giant loads were eased under the cables, with just inches to spare, to continue their journey down Leigh Road. By then spectators were starting to line the route to say farewell to another part of the town's industrial heritage.

The convoy then followed a route along Romsey Road, Twyford Road, Allbrook Way, Allbrook Link, Winchester Road, Bournemouth Road and School Lane, before going on the second lap of the journey to the docks.

The ovens, which are used as part of a drying process for the giant cables, were being taken by boat along the coast to a factory site in Kent.

Highways engineers had ruled out using the more direct M3 route because it was found there was not enough clearance under the motorway bridges. As well as having to pass through the main approach to Eastleigh town centre, the exceptionally abnormal load had to negotiate a route through two busy Chandler's Ford shopping centres.

To avoid traffic chaos, the convoy parked up at the Chandler's Ford Industrial Estate before setting off at about 7pm for the final leg of the journey.

More tree surgery and cable moving was expected along the circuitous route. Letters had been sent to the owners and occupiers of properties whose trees were likely to be affected.

Some of the minor trimming had to be carried out on the day of the load movement but larger limbs were removed in advance.