Gridlock as crash and fire close motorway

MOTORISTS faced delays of more than three hours on Thursday December 22, following a series of dramatic incidents on the M1.

A crash at just after 8am between J24 and J25 on the northbound carriageway over the border in Nottinghamshire caused queues to stretch south as far back as Loughborough.

With drivers already backed up from this accident, during which a car overturned, the chaos deepened when a car burst into flames in the queue close to J23.

By this time there was at least a four mile tailback from the original incident with vehicles at a standstill.

Motorists managed to manoeuvre through the queue to get away from the blaze with some later getting out of their vehi- cles to take photographs and video of the burning car.

The fire prompted further disruption as emergency services dealt with the incident. One businessman was caught up in the queues for three and a half hours.

People heading towards East Midlands Airport were urged to contact their airline.

Even after the car fire was extinguished and the debris removed drivers remained stuck as some vehicles had broken down while waiting and had to be cleared by the police.

By 10.50am two lanes were open northbound between J24A and J25 but closures still existed within 23A due to the fire.

It was 1.30pm by the time lanes were fully reopened but residual tailbacks remained.