M25: All lanes open after extensive lorry fire clean-up operation

Firefighters spent 10 hours at the scene of the crash between Clacket Lane service station and junction six.

Anthony Moc, who was driving behind the lorry when it exploded, said: "I thought it was a normal drive home.

"It was the fireball that caught me off guard - I didn't expect the truck to explode like that immediately, quite honestly.

"I actually had to brake and swerve into the second and third lane. [I'm] very, very shaken."

The traffic problems were exacerbated following a separate incident on the M26 that left the diversion route severely congested.