Spill means trouble on M1’s yeastbound carriageway jam

It is understood that the substance, which is used in the manufacture of the savoury spread, was being transported to Marmite’s factory in Burton-upon-Trent, Staffordshire.

A huge clean-up operation was required after the accident, which happened at around 10.15pm on Monday, when the tanker was in collision with a motorhome on the southbound carriageway.

More than 20 tonnes of what police described as “waste yeast” poured out onto the motorway after the lorry driver lost control of the vehicle between junctions 32 and 33 near Sheffield.

A South Yorkshire Police spokesman said yesterday: “A Ford camper van driven by a 57-year-old man from Milton Keynes was travelling slowly on the M1 southbound carriageway between junctions 33 and 32.

“A white Renault heavy goods vehicle driven by a 56-year-old man was travelling in the same direction and caught up with the campervan,

“It tried to overtake and the back of the tanker caught the wing mirror of the campervan, resulting in the lorry diver losing control.

“The HGV served across all three lanes, collided with the central reservation and overturned. The tanker spilled its load onto both carriageways.”

The lorry driver, from Burton-on-Trent, cut his elbow and was taken to Rotherham Hospital. The driver of the camper van was not reported to have been hurt.

The road reopened at around 10am yesterday. South Yorkshire Police appealed for witnesses to contact them.