Long tailbacks on the A1 in Rutland after lorry catches fire causing 'significant damage' to road

A lorry has caught fire on the A1 in Rutland in Leicestershire causing 'significant damage' to the road.

Long queues of traffic have been reported all morning as both lanes of the Northbound carriageway between Tickencote and Stretton Junctions were closed.

Leicestershire Police tweeted about the incident on social media at around 5.50am this morning to alert them about the road closure.

National Highways said carriageway clean up is underway and then the road will need to be inspected before being reopened.

On twitter, it alerted drivers to the delays, saying the carriageway "is likely to be protracted."

"The road surface will require an inspection once this is complete."

The fire has been extinguished, but a picture tweeted by local radio station Rutland & Stamford Sound shows the extent of the flames earlier this morning.

There are no reports of serious injuries from the incident.