A County highways inspector who came across a 20 feet long ladder in the road at Tarrington found himself stumped when he tried to find its owner.
Richard Morgan, aged 26, had to pull over when he came across the £3,500 firefighters' ladder lying across the main Hereford-Ledbury road on Monday morning.
Mr Morgan said: "I've come across many strange things in my time, but never a firefighter's ladder, especially one as big as this."
Herefordshire Council rang up Hereford Fire Station to ask if they were missing anything but a 'no' meant they had to take it back to their depot.
An inspection by firefighters confirmed it as Fire Service property, then Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service rang to say the ladder was probably theirs.
ADO Dave Griffiths, of Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service, said an investigation was underway.
He said: "A driver was out on a refresher course, and typically it was in another county. We are investigating how the ladder slid off the back of the appliance."
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