Motorway closed after shots fired at police

Shots have been fired at a police car on a road leading on to the M5 near Gloucester.

Two shots were fired at the patrol car as officers made a routine stop-check on a vehicle at around 4.10am on Friday.

Gloucestershire Police said a patrol car had stopped to make a routine check on a blue L-registration BMW 3 series that was parked in a lay-by on the B4008, just off junction 12 of the motorway.

But, as police pulled up behind the BMW, two shots were fired from the vehicle. It then made off on to the southbound carriageway of the motorway.

Police have closed the motorway in both directions between junctions 12 and 13.

The B4008 from junction 12 of the M5 towards Stonehouse has also been closed as police search the area.

No-one was hurt and neither of the shots fired from the BMW are believed to have hit the patrol car, police said.

A police spokeswoman said there were "at least two and possibly three people" in the BMW at the time of the shooting and that they cannot confirm at this stage what type of weapon was used.

Officers are conducting a thorough search of the affected area of the M5 and the lay-by on the B4008 where the patrol car initially tried to carry out the routine check.

The northbound stretch of the M5 was expected to be reopened before lunchtime but police said that the southbound stretch would not be reopened until later.