Sawdust causes 20-mile jam

Hundreds of drivers were caught in a 20-mile tailback after an articulated lorry carrying a cargo of woodchips veered out of control and overturned on the M25.

Within minutes of the crash last night huge delays built up as rescue services treated the lorry driver and another motorist for minor injuries.

It was six hours before the motorway was cleared and by that time long tailbacks had also built up on the M23 and M26. It was mid-evening before maintenance teams cleared the motorway of the sea of sawdust and woodchippings.

A Surrey Police spokesman said: "This was not a serious accident in terms of casualties but it caused a massive amount of disruption. The lorry was lifted clear of the motorway by crane ."

The incident comes days after another lorry overturned on the clockwise carriageway between the M3 junction and Chertsey. A number of other vehicles crashed into each other as they tried to avoid the wreckage.

Meanwhile, on the Underground last night there was more disruption for commuters after the Central line was suspended between Marble Arch and Liverpool Street at the height of the rush hour.

The service was suspended after a smoke smell was detected in a tunnel between Bond Street station and Oxford Circus.