Man killed in foggy motorway pile-up

A man died today after a pile-up in foggy conditions on one of Britain's busiest motorways.

A coach, a tanker and eight other vehicles were involved in a crash on the M1 shortly after 4am.

A second man is in hospital with serious head injuries and about 15 people suffered minor injuries, Hertfordshire Constabulary said.

The northbound carriageway of the motorway between junctions 1 and 5 was closed while accident investigation work took place.

Police advised drivers to avoid the M1 until about 4pm or 5pm when the crash site is expected to be cleared.

The tanker was carrying syrup, which leaked on to the road.

About 50 people walked away from the crash without significant injuries. Those involved blamed poor visibility.

A Hertfordshire Fire Service spokeswoman said: "We had several calls reporting the crash, the first at 4.12am, and all the callers said the fog was a factor."

A police spokesman said: "We think the cause of the crash is likely to be people driving too fast in the fog, but there will be a full investigation."

There was widespread fog across central and southern England this morning.