A VEHICLE fire has brought traffic to a halt on the M56, as the motorway has been closed heading westbound. 

The fire has taken place between Junctions 10 and 11, between Stretton and Daresbury. 

According to Traffic England there is currently about half an hour of delays, and the incident is not expected to be fully cleared until about 4.45 pm at the earliest. 

There are no reports yet on the status of the driver involved in the fire. 

A spokesperson for Cheshire Police said: "At around 3.10pm today (Wednesday, August 9), police were called to reports of a vehicle fire on the M56 westbound between junctions 10 and 11.

"Officers attended and found that a silver BMW 116D had caught on fire.

"Lane 1 and lane 2 are closed as a precaution while Cheshire Fire and Rescue work on the scene. Motorists are advised to avoid the area."

This is a breaking story, and will be updated when we have more information.