M6 closed for 11 hours after lorry crashes and spills 32,000 litres of gin onto motorway

The motorway was closed in Chesire between J19 at Knutsford and J20 at Lymm following a crash between two lorries at 5.30pm on Wednesday.

Traffic was held for hours with three miles of queues backing up.

Highway officials were sent to clean up the gin over fears that it could burst int flames.

The road fully reopened at around 4.30am.

Rachel Sargeant was one of the motorists caught up in the queues and said she was stuck in the queue for two hours.

She tweeted: “Been sat on the m6 for two hours so far . 200 yards away from 32,000 litres of spilt gin! Heartbreaking that I don’t have a straw.”

Cheshire Fire and Rescue released a statement saying: "Due to the flammability of the alcohol a decision was taken to close the motorway in both directions as a precautionary measure.

"Firefighters are currently working hard to stem the leak.

"Crews are also coating the spilt alcohol with foam to prevent it from igniting."

A 300m cordon was put in place as a ‘precautionary measure’ as fire crews coated the spilt alcohol with foam.