A SECTION of a major motorway was closed for much of Thursday closed after a vehicle fire caused by a crash.

The crash, which occurred at around 6.50am between junctions 6 and 7 Westbound on the M56, and caused a vehicle to catch fire.

The M56 runs from North Cheshire to Greater Manchester, with the closure likely to affect commuters across the wider city region.

A statement issued by Transport for Greater Manchester said: "All lanes are closed in the Westbound direction

"Traffic is moving slowly in the Eastbound direction.

"This is due to a road traffic collision, please avoid the area if possible."

As of around 7.30am, Transport for Greater Manchester announced that Highways North West had implemented an emergency diversion due to the ongoing incident on the M56 Westbound.

The motorway was fully reopened by around 2pm.