Lorry driver 'safe and well' after M56 blaze

One lane of the M56 eastbound remains closed following the large lorry fire

A lorry driver is "safe and well" after a large blaze involving their vehicle on the M56, the fire service has said.

Fire crews were called to the eastbound side of the M56 near Frodsham, Cheshire following reports of a blaze at about 19:40 BST on Wednesday.

The motorway was closed for several hours, with one lane eastbound remaining shut.

A Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said: "The driver has been accounted for and is safe and well."

The vehicle was carrying a quantity of top soil and cardboard waste, he said.

Firefighters were on scene for about seven and a half hours.

They dragged the contents of the lorry onto the carriageway to extinguish the blaze, the fire service said.

'Thick smoke'

The lorry was removed from the scene at about 03:00.

One lane on the eastbound carriageway remains closed for resurfacing to take place.

The fire service said the blaze had caused "a significant amount of thick smoke".

Police and ambulance services were also at the scene.

There were no reported injuries.

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