GIANT dump trucks brought traffic to a halt and stunned passers by as they were transported down Shirley High Street on Thursday .

The trucks were seen heading down Romsey Road before joining Shirley High Street and turning right down Regents Park Road.

Eye witness Hilde Gronsberg, who caught the trucks on video, told the Echo that at points on the journey, the vehicles were just centimetres away from traffic islands and traffic lights, adding that they were clearly being driven very slowly and carefully.

Traffic is being diverted due to Millbrook roundabout being closed as part of an £8.3m road improvement project, with diversions down Romsey Road being in place.

Hilde, from Shirley, spotted the trucks while she was walking with her three-year-old, Emily, and can be heard talking excitedly to her daughter about the vehicles.

"We noticed that the traffic had stopped and saw that the big trucks were waiting," said the 38-year-old who works as an events and social media co-ordinator for Friends of St James Park, in Shirley.

"It took about five minutes for the traffic to be stopped so that the trucks could get through.

"My daughter loved it. The trucks were a bit intimidating, because they were so big, but it was very exciting. Everyone was stopping and filming them. I heard some people saying 'that's what I want for Christmas'.

"My friend has seen them going through at 6am but it was great for us to be able to see them when we were out."

The dump trucks were being hauled by Scottish firm Cadzow Heavy Haulage, who were transporting the vehicles from Newhouse in Scotland to Southampton docks, for onward shipping to Asia, where they will be used in the quarrying and mining industry.