Drivers face delays of up to TWO HOURS as lorry fire halts traffic on M1 near Northampton

Drivers are being warned to avoid the M1 northbound near Northampton after a lorry fire blocked the motorway nothbound between junction 16 and junction 17 on Monday (September 12).

National Highways issued an update at around 7pm advising delays of 60 minutes and six miles of congestion.

Initial reports said three lanes were closed but a spokesman for the agency later said that traffic was being held while Northamptonshire Fire & Rescue crews worked to extinguish the fire.

UPDATE: A further bulletin from National Highways at around 8.30pm advised delays to traffic heading north were now up two hours.