The real truth behind the £21 million Travel Ipswich highways programme can be revealed for the first time today.

Motorists have been left frustrated by the endless roadworks around town, causing lengthy delays to even the shortest journey.

But far from spending £21m to dig up roads and junctions in an apparent effort to improve traffic flow, the reality is that the council is looking for buried treasure worth £21m.

A spokesman for the highways management team said: “It’s common knowledge amongst the road crews that there is £21m in gold somewhere under the roads of Ipswich, and we are going to keep digging until we find it.”

Delayed motorists will be relieved to hear that once the council finds the £21 million gold, it will sell it and then spend the cash on digging up the roads to improve traffic flow.