Pedestrian death closes M25 in Surrey

The motorway was closed for several hours clockwise between junction six at Godstone and junction seven at Redhill

A pedestrian, thought to be a man, has been struck by a lorry and killed on the hard shoulder of the M25 in Surrey.

It is thought the man got out of a Ford Focus after it had stopped in a live lane with its lights off alongside a section of road works, police said.

The lorry then collided with the car and pedestrian who was walking on the hard shoulder shortly before 04:30 BST.

The motorway was closed for several hours clockwise between junction six at Godstone and junction seven at Redhill.

The pedestrian, who has not been named but is believed to be in his 50s, was pronounced dead soon after 05:00, police said.

Motorists were advised to expect delays of up to two hours until the queues had cleared.

Twelve-mile queue

The other occupant of the Focus, who was still in the vehicle when the crash happened, was treated for minor injuries.

Surrey Police said the car had stopped on the hard shoulder which was being used as a live lane.

Officers are appealing for witnesses to the incident, which happened near junction 7, which is the turn off for the M23.

Traffic was queuing for 12 miles (19km) clockwise at junction six, with congestion stretching to junction four.

A Highways Agency spokesman said: "As a result of these delays, the M26 westbound has been closed between J3 and the M25/A21 junction in order to prevent further disruption."

Some drivers said on Twitter they had been stuck in traffic for three hours and Gatwick Airport advised people to leave extra time for their journeys.