Burning Lamborghini brings M25 traffic to a standstill

A Lamborghini Gallardo that had gone up in flames brought traffic on one of Britain's busiest motorways to a grinding halt yesterday.

The stricken supercar caught fire in roadworks between junctions 25 and 24 of the M25 in Hertfordshire, spouting huge orange flames and sending a pillar of thick, black smoke into the sky.

 

The inferno meant police were forced to close three lanes on the anti-clockwise side of the motorway, causing gridlock in the afternoon traffic.

The fire caused a flurry of activity on Twitter, with users posting pictures of the burning sports car as emergency services brought the blaze under control.

The vehicle was damaged beyond repair, with only a charred hulk remaining once the flames had been extinguished

"The incident occurred at approximately 1:10pm today," said a spokesman for the Highways Agency.

"The vehicle was on fire and the police, fire and our traffic officers were called to the scene. The carriageway was partially blocked while the vehicle fire was attended to.

"The whole carriageway was open by 3:25pm."

Metropolitan Police added: "The fire happened on the hard shoulder and the driver sustained no injuries.

"It is believed to be a mechanical problem that started the fire."

It's not the first time a mid-engined Italian supercar has gone up in smoke. A spate of roadside fires have affected both the Gallardo and its chief rival, the Ferrari 458 Italia in recent years.

Both have had recalls issued to cure problems that, their makers have said, might have resulted in parts catching alight.

Whether this latest fire is related to one of those recalls has yet to be established