Dramatic pictures show firefighters tackling a blaze which spread along the hard shoulder of the M11.

Four crews from Saffron Walden, Newport and Stansted were called to a car fire near the M11 junction 9 on Friday afternoon (January 7).

When they arrived, they discovered that the car's fuel tank had ruptured during the blaze, spreading burning fuel along the road.

Crews used foam and around 4,000 litres of water to fight the flames and smoke.

Saffron Walden Reporter: A firefighter gets close to a car fire on the M11 at Great ChesterfordA firefighter gets close to a car fire on the M11 at Great Chesterford (Image: Essex County Fire and Rescue Service)

An Essex County Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: “A vehicle caught fire due to a fuel leak in the engine compartment.

"The M11 southbound was closed for approximately 25 minutes while firefighters extinguished the fire and made the area safe."

Queues of approximately five miles developed on the motorway and A11 southbound near Cambridge as a result.

The fire service said National Highways and the Environment Agency also attended the incident.