Motorway fire may hit early Easter getaway

The motorway was shut in both directions from junctions one to four in north London yesterday as around 40 firefighters tackled a blaze in a scrapyard, and may not reopen until midday today.

Fire broke out shortly before 4.15am yesterday at the site in Mill Hill and a hazard zone was set up around the yard because of the danger of gas cylinders exploding. Some homes had to be evacuated.

The disruption is expected to cause delays as traffic volumes soar even higher than usual because of Easter travellers, football fans travelling to Wembley for today’s FA Cup semi-final clash between Manchester United and Manchester City, and the London Marathon tomorrow.

Train services have also been hit, with delays caused to services after the closure of half of the tracks on the Midland mainline between St Pancras and Bedford.

The Highways Agency said it was assessing the nearby M1 viaduct to see if there was any severe damage. A spokeswoman said: “Intended users of the M1 are advised to consider alternative routes or means of travel to their destinations. A signed diversion route is also in place, using black diamond signs northbound and black circle signs southbound.”