Delays on southbound M6 after vehicle fire

Emergency services were called out to reports that a car had collided with the central reservation at junction 27 for Standish at around 5.30am.

The car burst into flames and fire crews spent over an hour extinguishing the car.

A spokesman for the fire service said: "Three fire engines from Wigan and Skelmersdale were called to a car fire on the M6.

"On arrival firefighters found a car well alright on the southbound carriageway, requiring the use of two breathing apparatus and two hose reels to extinguish."

Police confirmed that nobody was injured in the incident and that all occupants of the car had been accounted for.

The incident caused chaos for drivers on the motorway which was closed for over six hours. Traffic was directed via the entry and exit slip roads around the incident.

A Highways England spokesman said: "Traffic has been directed off and then back on the slip roads at the junction, and one lane on the motorway is currently in the process of being reopened.

"Lanes two and three remain closed as the road was damaged by the fire and requires resurfacing."

All lanes reopened at around 2.45pm following a clean-up operation, with traffic beginning to ease shortly after.