THE M20 was closed early this morning following a crash involving at least two lorries and a silver BMW which caught fire.

The driver of the car suffered head and back injuries and was taken to a hospital in Ashford.

Two fire engines, Kent Police and South East Coast Ambulance were in attendance.

The M20 London-bound was closed between Junction 8 and 9 following the incident at around 6.30am.

A Kent Fire and Rescue spokesman said: "The car had left the road and was on fire - crews were initially told there were people in the vehicle and quickly set about extinguishing the fire using breathing apparatus and two hose reel jets.

"An extensive search of the area by firefighters and Kent Police found no casualties."

A Kent Police spokesman said: "Kent Police was called at 6.35am today to a report of a road traffic collision between junction 8 and junction 9 of the M20.

"Officers attended after it was reported a silver BMW was in collision with a central reservation system before colliding with a lorry."

The M20 was partially reopened shortly afterwards, with one lane remaining closed to allow emergency services to make the scene safe.

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