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Lorry sheds its load of offal leading to M6 delays

Alex McIntyreWest Midlands
BBC A motorway viewed from the bridge. Traffic officers have closed some of the lanes and a load of offal can be seen spread across several carriageways.BBC
National Highways said three lanes were closed after a lorry shed its load of offal

A lorry shed its load of offal on to the M6 in Staffordshire, leaving drivers facing delays of up to two hours.

Three lanes were closed on the motorway's northbound carriageway, between junctions 14 for Stafford and 15 for Stoke-on-Trent, following the incident at 05:30 GMT, National Highways said.

Queues of up to nine miles (14.4km) were reported, with congestion stretching back to junction 13, while drivers were urged to use alternative routes.

The lane closures were in place for almost 11 hours while specialist crews were called in by National Highways to clean up the offal.

A lorry with a white cab and dark blue trailer with a light blue cover, is parked at the side of a motorway with offal dropping out of the trailer and onto the road.
The lorry shed its load on the northbound carriageway on Wednesday morning

A spokesperson for the organisation said the process was "protracted" due to the nature of the spillage and "the specialist equipment required to safely handle the material".

National Highways reported in a post on X shortly before 16:30 GMT that the lorry had been recovered, the offal had been cleared and all lanes were reopened.

It said delays had eased but journeys were taking 20 minutes longer than usual.

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