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M4 westbound closed due to lorry fire

Daisy Stephens
BBC News, Berkshire
National Highways A blurry photo of a lorry stopped on the hard shoulder of an empty motorway. Smoke is billowing out the top and firefighters have hoses pointed at it. Three fire engines are stopped on the carriageway just ahead of it.National Highways
Firefighters were called to the scene just after 13:00 BST

A major motorway was closed because of a lorry fire.

National Highways said "multiple fire appliances" attended the blaze on the M4 westbound carriageway between junction 12 for Reading and junction 13 for Newbury just after 13:00 BST.

The eastbound carriageway was also being held because of smoke drifting across the carriageway but has since reopened, the company said.

The westbound carriageway has been temporarily opened to free the stuck traffic but it will be closed again to allow the lorry to be recovered, Thames Valley Police said.

The force said they anticipated one lane would reopen later this evening, but urged people to avoid travelling westbound between junctions 12 and 13 anyway.

Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service said it was on the scene for almost three hours and the fire was extinguished just after 16:00.

Thames Valley Police said no-one was hurt.

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