M25 fire: Coach bursts into flames on motorway bringing traffic to a standstill

Drivers warned of 80 minute delays on busy motorway after incident between junction 8 near Reigate and junction 7

Emergency services were called to the scene (National Highways)

A coach burst into flames on the M25 on Monday morning, bringing traffic on the busy motorway to a standstill.

Three lanes on the route, which encircles Greater London, were closed due to the fire. Congestion has stretched back for four miles and drivers have been warned of delays of up to 80 minutes.

A video posted on social media showed thick clouds of smoke billowing into the sky as firefighters tackled the blaze on the hard shoulder. There were no reports of injury or death.

The coach caught fire on a section of the motorway between junction 8 near Reigate and junction 7 shortly after 8am. Lanes 1, 2, 3  and were shut as a result of the fire. Lanes 1 and 2 remained shut by 10am.

Have you been affected by this incident? If so email matt.mathers@independent.co.uk

Surrey Fire and Rescue Service said three pumps were sent to deal with the fire and urged drivers to avoid the area.

Last week traffic on the motorway was disrupted for two hours due to a “spillage of watermelons”.

Drivers faced queues of four miles and delays of up to 30 minutes as road sweepers cleared up the mess.

The incident was reported at 9.38am and the motorway was fully operational with “normal” levels of by 12.10pm.

The M25 passes through Kent, Surrey, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex and is one of the busiest motorways in the UK.

The 117-mile long road serves as a key route for commuters travelling into the capital from its surrounding areas.

Over 200,000 vehicles use the M25 daily, representing about 15 per cent of all UK motorway traffic.