M4 van fire destroys furniture load

A removals lorry caught fire on the M4 last night destroying its heavy load of wooden furniture.

Fire fighters received the emergency call from the lorry's distressed driver at 6.09pm but they were unable to force their way through heavy traffic in time to salvage its contents.

A total of three fire engines, one from Maidenhead and two from Slough, were called to the blaze on the hard shoulder between junctions 7 and 8/9 of the eastbound carriageway.

The crews closed two lanes of the east bound carriageway for around 45 minutes, causing lengthy tail backs for rush hour commuters heading towards Heathrow and London.

"By the time we arrived at the scene there was very little we could do," said Maidenhead white watch crew manager Jon Hicks.
"We did our best to salvage what we could, but unfortunately most of the furniture was burnt to a crisp."

The blaze is believed to have started in the engine, before spreading through the cab to the main trunk of the lorry. The lorry is thought to belong to a Luton based removals company.