A VEHICLE fire has brought traffic to a halt on the M56, as two lanes of the motorway have been closed heading westbound. 

The fire has taken place between Junctions 10 and 11, between Stretton and Daresbury. 

According to Traffic England there are delays of about 30 minutes, with the incident not expected to be fully cleared until about 4.45pm at the earliest. 

There are no reports yet on the status of the driver involved in the fire. Cheshire Police have been contacted for comment. 

A National Highways spokesman said: "Lanes one and two (of three) are closed on the M56 in Cheshire westbound between J10 and J11 due to a vehicle fire.

"Delays of at least 30 minutes above normal travel times on approach, please allow extra time for your journey. Thank you for your patience."

A Cheshire Police spokeswoman said: "At around 3.10pm today (Wednesday, August 9), police were called to reports of a vehicle fire on the M56 westbound between junctions 10 and 11.

"Officers attended and found that a silver BMW 116D had caught on fire.

"Lanes one and two are closed as a precaution while Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service work on the scene. Motorists are advised to avoid the area."