Mid-morning tailbacks after car fire closes M8 motorway

A major motorway in Scotland was closed when a car burst into flames.

The eastbound carriageway of the M8 was shut between junctions six and five near Newhouse, North Lanarkshire at about 10:30.

Traffic on the westbound carriageway was also restricted because of the smoke from the car, which was sitting on the hard shoulder.

Police Scotland said road users were asked to avoid the area while the emergency services attended the scene.

There were long tailbacks on the eastbound carriageway when the road re-opened about an hour later.

A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said there were no casualties.

“Operations Control mobilised two fire appliances to the area, and the fire was extinguished,” she said.

It was the second vehicle to catch fire on that stretch of road in less than a week after a lorry caught fire early on Friday morning.