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Parts of the M4 motorway remain closed this morning after a lorry carrying hay bales caught fire last night.

Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service (DWFRS ) was called to the scene of the incident, between junctions 16 and 17 near Chippenham, at about 6pm on Monday.

Dramatic images show the vehicle engulfed in flames, sending thick plumes of smoke billowing into the sky.

Both carriageways were shut as five fire crews were sent in to tackle the blaze, leading to severe delays as huge queues piled up.

Wiltshire Police warned that the road was likely to remain shut ‘for some time’ as it was sent in to help drivers stranded in traffic.

National Highways said the ‘load keeps reigniting’ and called the incident a ‘major fire’ in a series of tweets.

Cars stuck in tailbacks were not released until after midnight, over six hours after the fire started.

In an update at around 6am this morning, the fire service said the fire is now out and crews have left the scene.

However, they said the road westbound between J16 & J17 is still closed.

DWFRS said it would be reopened as soon as it’s safe to do so.

Complex recovery work to make the road safe is on-going this morning.

It is not clear when the road is expected to be open. Police said the situation would be reviewed ‘in the early hours’ of the morning.

This is a breaking news story, more to follow soon… Check back shortly for further updates.

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