M6 crash: Motorway shut down after 'very serious' crash involving three lorries

Motorists are facing long delays after a "very serious collision" involving three lorries and a car has closed a major motorway.

Both carriageways of the M6 between junctions 15 and 16 in North Staffordshire have been shut with emergency services at the scene following the crash at around 4.10am.

National Highways is warning that the northbound stretch could stay closed into the afternoon. Meanwhile the southbound carriageway has been shut to help emergency services access the scene of the smash.

National Highways says that the southbound carriageway is also closed to allow access for emergency vehicles.

It states: "The southbound carriageway has been closed to facilitate emergency service access to the scene and for the installation of incident screens around the scene. Once these screens are installed the southbound carriageway will be re-opened.

"Road users caught within the closure between J15 and the scene of the collision on the northbound carriageway will be released in due course but this will be a protracted process. There is traffic caught within the southbound closure which will be released once the incident screens have been installed."

A statement from National Highways reads: "The M6 in Staffordshire is closed in both directions between J15 Hanchurch Interchange (Stoke-on-Trent, Newcastle-under-Lyme A500) and J16 Barthomley Interchange (Stoke-on-Trent, Crewe, Nantwich, Chester A500).

"This is due to a serious collision which occurred at approximately 04:10 on the morning of Monday 17th August involving 3 heavy goods vehicles and a car on the northbound carriageway.

"Staffordshire Police, West Midlands Ambulance Service, Staffordshire Fire & Rescue and National Highways units attended the incident promptly and confirmed this is a very serious collision and the closure will be protracted."

The M6 in Staffordshire is closed in both directions between J15 Hanchurch Interchange (Stoke-on-Trent, Newcastle-under-Lyme A500) and J16 Barthomley Interchange (Stoke-on-Trent, Crewe, Nantwich, Chester A500).

This is due to a serious collision which occurred at approximately 4:10am this morning involving three heavy goods vehicles and a car on the northbound carriageway.