M40 closure up-date 5pm

THE southbound carriageway on the M40 between junctions 4 and 5 has now reopened, following a fatal collision involving two articulated lorries in the early hours of this morning.
Junction 9 remains closed to allow built up traffic to disipate.
The M40, the main transport route through Oxfordshire, has been closed all day, causing massive tail backs of traffic, while an investigation was carried out into the crash, and a spillage of lard was cleared from the carriageway.

The police say that the northbound carriageway, between junctions 4 and 5 however, will remain closed until 11pm at the earliest.

Supt Richard List from Thames Valley Police said: ?Please start thinking about your journey home. We want to keep the A40 and other roads parallel to the M40 open but traffic will be very heavy on all these roads and if you can avoid the area and the M40, please do so. Traffic will also be very heavy in High Wycombe, Amersham and Beaconsfield town centres as traffic leaves the M40.?

The police are appealing for witnesses to the incident. Anyone with any information should contact Sgt Bryan Smith or PC Sian Pringle via Thames Valley Police Enquiry Centre on 0845 8 505 505.

If you don?t want to talk to police and don?t want to leave your name, call the Crimestoppers charity anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Library Photo: Courtesy of BBC news on-line