THE Highways Agency has announced in the last few minutes that the M5 southbound has reopened following last night's lorry fire.

However there are still long delays on the M5 itself and on routes leading to the motorway in south Worcestershire and north Gloucestershire.

The closure, between Junction 8 (M50) and Junction 10 (Coombe Hill), was necessary because the road needed resurfacing after the fire.

The fire happened at about 10.40pm on Monday, May 21,and firefighters from Tewkesbury and Cheltenham attended.

24 firefighters were at the scene, and used a water carrier, with two jets, two hosereels and four breathing apparatus to extinguish the fire.

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