A SECTION of the M5 motorway has been closed this afternoon after a Westons Cider lorry caught fire.

The Herefordshire firm's lorry has been pictured engulfed in flames northbound between junctions 21 (Weston-super-Mare) and 20 (Clevedon) in Somerset.

Police say there are no reported injuries but a witness said they heard a huge bang, looked up and saw smoke, reports the Somerset Counties Gazette.

The lorry fire has since been put out and two lanes of the carriageway have reopened, with all four lanes closed earlier this afternoon.

Avon Fire and Rescue Service said: "A lorry carrying 50 empty kegs and three pallets of bottled cider was found well alight.

"Firefighters used one high-pressure hose reel, two 45mm jets and gas monitors to extinguish the blaze."

A witness to the vehicle fire on the M5 claims they heard a "huge bang" and "saw smoke" while on a lunchtime walk. 

They said: "I was just out for a lunchtime walk from work. I heard a huge bang, looked up and saw smoke.

"I went towards it but there were a lot more even louder bangs, so I called the fire brigade.

"They told me it was a lorry on the M5 and that they had already been called.

"They had it all under control in a few minutes. Hope the driver got out OK."

The latest update from National Highways South West suggests drivers travelling north on the M5 past junction 20 will have at least an hour added to their journey times due to 8.8 miles of congestion. 

A spokesperson for National Highways said: Lane three (of four) has also reopened past the scene of the HGV fire on the M5 north between J20 (Clevedon) & J19 (Bristol).

"Lanes one and two remain closed.

"There is currently approx. 8.8 miles of congestion on approach adding at least 60 minutes to normal journey times."

Weston Cider, based in Much Marcle near Ledbury, said it was aware of the fire.