Driver 'very lucky' to escape M1 Leicester lorry fire

Mark George said he had just two minutes to pull over and get out before the lorry became 'an inferno'

The driver of a lorry which went up in flames on the M1 has thanked a passing car passenger for saving his life.

Mark George had been driving from Leicester to his home in North Wales on Friday when the vehicle caught fire.

The northbound carriageway was shut between junctions 21 and 21A for several hours and caused major delays while fire crews dealt with the blaze.

Mr George said within minutes of being alerted by a passenger in a nearby car, the vehicle was "an inferno".

The 39-year-old said: "I didn't know the lorry was on fire.

"But a woman and a man who was driving tried to flag me down. I told them to 'go away' at first because I didn't know what they were saying.

"Then the woman was screaming out the window that the lorry was on fire.

"Between me pulling over, getting out and it [the lorry] turning into an inferno was just two minutes."

Dramatic footage of the plumes of smoke was captured by paramotor pilot, Dennis Morris, who was flying 900ft (274m) over the M1 on Friday.

Mr George, who was uninjured in the blaze, said he wanted to find the couple who were in a dark-coloured Audi or VW to thank them.

"I owe them the biggest 'thank you' ever," he added.

"If they hadn't have done that I would not be here. I feel very, very lucky.

"I'm just grateful that someone did that because I couldn't see anything at all. It's a moment I don't ever want to re-live again."

The M1 northbound was closed for several hours on Friday

Mr George had been carrying empty drink cans at the time of the fire and said the cause was still under investigation.