Thousands of rush hour motorists became ensnared in major tailbacks today after emergency services took more than four hours to deal with a burned-out lorry on a motorway hard shoulder.
The articulated lorry, containing hundreds of frozen chickens, burst into flames shortly before 4.30am, forcing the closure of the link road from the M42 southbound at junction 8 with the M6 northbound.
Yet the junction, one of the busiest in the Midlands, was still closed at 8.30am, with police admitting they were still trying to arrange the removal of the lorry.
One motorist Alison Williams, aged 29, from Sutton Coldfield said: "It was absolutely chaotic, the traffic was backed right up to Junction 9. It was a nightmare."
Another motorist added: When I found out it was due to a fire that had happened hours before I couldn't believe it."
