Car transporter blaze closes A57

FIREFIGHTERS were forced to close one of the borough's busiest commuter routes after a lorry caught fire.

The A57 was closed at Todwick crossroads when the Renault car transporter went up in flames shortly before 7am this morning.

Traffic through the crossroads was stalled for around 40 minutes as firefighters tackled the blaze, which had started in the lorry's engine bay.

A firefighter, from Aston Fire Station, said: "The fire itself wasn't a huge incident but that is a very busy stretch of road and the lorry had come to a halt in the carriageway.

"Luckily the police were able to get traffic flowing before we left the scene."