Rush-hour traffic came to a standstill on the M6 today after a crash between a car and a lorry closed the motorway. The smash happened just before junction nine.

The smash, which involved a green Jaguar colliding with a lorry at the junction for Wednesbury, caused the northbound carriageway to be closed for half-an-hour this morning.

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No-one was injured in the crash, which happened at 7.19am, but traffic was left queueing for three-and-a- half miles back to junction seven for Great Barr.

Highways Agency spokeswoman Jo Carroll said: “There was some damage to the central reservation and there was some diesel spillage from the HGV.”

The motorway reopened at 7.47am but had to be closed again while Highways Agency officers carried out emergency repairs to the central reservation.

Meanwhile, a short while later a broken-down lorry blocked off the western slip road at junction one of the M5 for West Bromwich and caused five miles of tailbacks.