The M6 has been closed northbound near Junction 31A

A diesel spillage on the M6 near Preston and a number of collisions have caused long tailbacks on the motorway.

The motorway is closed northbound between Junction 31 (Tickled Trout) and 32 (Broughton).

Advertisements

One lane was opened around 8.45pm northbound to release trapped traffic, there are long delays back to Junction 29.

Highways England say a tanker has shed its load and a number of multi-vehicle accidents have taken place around 7.20pm on Sunday.

The motorway is not expected to reopen northbound until 1.45am on Monday (April 25).

The North West Air Ambulance landed at the scene as police stopped traffic in both directions to deal with a ‘serious collision’. Six vehicles are understood to have been involved.

Police holding back traffic near Junction 31

A southbound closure at Junction 31 was lifted around 7.45pm. Lancashire Police is advising motorists to find alternative routes northbound as the motorway is expected to be closed ‘for some time’.

A spokeswoman for Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service said: “We had been called to a fuel spillage near Longsands Lane near the Anderton Arms pub and we made this safe.

“However there was then a callout to the M6 where a car had hit the central reservation on the northbound carriageway close to Junction 30 and 31.

“There was reportedly one trapped female casualty however when crews arrived the casualty was already out of the vehicle and so crews helped move the vehicle over to the hard shoulder.”