Recycling lorry fire closes major road

Crews inspected the load overnight and into Tuesday

A major road had to be closed because of a fire in a lorry carrying recyclable materials.

The vehicle had been travelling northbound on the A1 between Little Paxton and Buckden in Cambridgeshire at about 15:30 BST on Monday.

Crews from St Neots, Huntingdon and Kimbolton used hose reels and jets to bring the fire under control, and the trailer was moved from the carriageway.

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service said it could not be unloaded on Monday because of strong winds, and warned it was still causing smoke by Tuesday morning.

A Facebook post at 09:30 said: "If you're travelling near Buckden this morning and can see smoke, please know that this is coming from the trailer following the lorry fire yesterday afternoon."

The service added rubbish would have blown across the area if they had emptied it, and that crews were regularly inspecting the lorry to keep the fire under control.

"We're currently working with a local contractor to find a suitable location for the load," a spokesman said.