Lorry fire causes hours of M6 delays

National Highways traffic cameras showed long queues on the M6 southbound around J3 for Coventry

A lorry fire early on Tuesday morning led to tailbacks of up to five miles (8km) for commuters on the M6 in Warwickshire.

Emergency services and traffic officers responded to the incident between the southbound M6 toll and junction 3 near Coventry at about 03:40 BST.

National Highways West Midlands shut two lanes while a complex recovery and clear-up operation was carried out.

Drivers faced up to 60-minute delays in the area, which started to ease as the route reopened at about 13:00 BST.

Fire crews put out the blaze, but lanes one and two of four were closed throughout the morning, with queues tailing back to the A45 Birmingham Road as traffic diverted.

National Highways workers also carried out checks to assess whether the road surface needed repairing.

Highways England warned drivers to allow extra time while the scene was cleared

A Coleshill fire station crew found a trailer alight on the hard shoulder of the motorway before working alongside West Midlands Fire Service staff to douse the flames.

"Crews stayed at the scene for around four hours extinguishing the blaze and making the scene safe. The driver of the vehicle was left in the care of the ambulance service," a spokesperson for Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service said.

West Midlands Ambulance service said the lorry driver sustained injuries not thought to be life-threatening and was taken by ambulance to George Eliot Hospital, Nuneaton.