M1 cheese lorry fire: Delays continue after vehicle bursts into flames

The incident occurred at Junction 18 in Northamptonshire

The cheese lorry ablaze on the M1 (Max Earey)

Motorists on the M1 are continuing to face severe delays – after a cheese lorry erupted into a fireball last night.

The incident occurred on the southbound carriageway at junction 18 in Northamptonshire, at around 7.30pm last night.

Eyewitness Max Earey, a professional photographer, captured the huge flames billowing from the vehicle as firefighters tackled the blaze.

Max Earey (Max Earey)

Mr Earey told the BBC that he had been travelling from Crewe to Essex.

"There were a couple of explosions and then the emergency services turned up," he said.

Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service told The Independent that firefighters first arrived on the scene at 7.43pm. In total, 18 crew members attended the incident and the flames were brought under control by 10.01pm.

Nobody was hurt in the accident, which is believed to have been caused by the lorry's brakes overheating.

Traffic alerts state that severe disruption is ongoing. The Highways Agency says there are currently delays of 90 minutes between junctions 18 and 20, which is expected to last until 4pm.