LIVE M62 traffic updates as lorry full of sawdust bursts into flames forcing motorway to shut

All traffic has been stopped on a busy section of the M62 motorway after a lorry caught fire this morning (November 29).

Emergency services are currently on the scene on an eastbound stretch of the motorway.

It happened between junction 22 for Saddleworth, Oldham, and junction 23 for Huddersfield in West Yorkshire. Traffic on the Leeds-bound stretch out of Greater Manchester is being affected.

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National Highways shared a motorway traffic images of the lorry on fire, with smoke pictured billowing up into the air.

It's understood the lorry is in lane one.

National Highways says police and its traffic officers are currently en-route to the scene.

This is a breaking news story and updates will be in our live blog below:

UPDATE#M62 eastbound J20 #Rochdale #Oldham #A627M to J24 #Huddersfield #Halifax #WestYorkshire

ROAD CLOSED@WYFRS continue to manage the fire. They are not happy to allow traffic eastbound to run past scene or for the 2 lanes on the westbound to be reopened at this time. pic.twitter.com/ys7RE9t2SZ

Latest update:

Due to the nature of the load on the lorry (sawdust) the fire is proving difficult to fully extinguish as it keeps re-igniting. There is also substantial drifting smoke from the lorry fire which is affecting both carriageways. It is therefore not safe to allow traffic on the eastbound carriageway to run past the scene.

Road users caught within the closure between J22 and the scene will be turned around in due course from the back of the queue to return to J22 and exit. Please be aware that this is a complicated and slow process to carry out but our officers will work as