M40 closed: Motorway shut in both directions after lorry fire and three HGVs crash

Major disruption after two separate serious incidents on same stretch of road

The M40 has been closed in Warwickshire following a crash involving goods vehicles on one carriageway and a major lorry fire on the other.

Highways England warned the motorway could remain shut between Warwick and Henley-in-Arden for much of Friday following the crash at around 4am.

Warwickshire Police said three lorries were thought to have been involved in the incident on the northbound carriageway, urging motorists to avoid the area.

On the same stretch of road, the southbound carriageway was closed after a heavy goods vehicle burst into flames.

Video of the incident since posted online shows firefighters battling a large blaze as the vehicle was reduced to a shell on the roadside.

“The road is expected to be closed for the majority of the morning, while the southbound stretch of the M40 from junctions 15 to 16 is also closed at this time due to a separate lorry fire,” the force said in a statement.

“Motorists are advised to avoid the area completely and follow diversions put in place by Highways England.”

Highways England said the closures meant motorists could join the M40 from the M42.

The crash involving multiple lorries had also caused a significant fuel spillage and a separate fire, the agency added.

Additional reporting by PA