Police have issued a warning after impatient motorists drove the WRONG way down a motorway slip road as emergency services dealt with a serious car fire.

A section of the motorway had to be closed on Saturday afternoon after a car set on fire while travelling on the eastbound carriageway.

A woman, who fire service personnel say was from the Preston area, was driving towards Nelson on the M65 when smoke began billowing from the engine of her car.

A spokesperson for the fire service said initially the woman assumed the smoke had been coming from the car in front, but when it began to seep into the car she pulled over on the hard shoulder and made swift exit from the vehicle.

Lancashire Telegraph:

The spokesperson said: "Her engine management light had come on and her car was on fire as she was travelling down the motorway.

"She thought the smoke was from the car in front but then her car began filling with smoke so she pulled over and got herself out.

"A police van travelling along the same stretch of motorway also pulled over and by the time we arrived her car was well alight."

Fire crews from Burnley, Nelson and Colne were called to the incident at around 3pm and spent around 30 minutes extinguishing the blaze, which totally destroyed the car.

Lancashire Telegraph:

One lane of the M65 eastbound from junction 11 for Burnley to junction 12 for Nelson/Brierfield was closed while crews dealt with the fire and police awaited recovery of the vehicle.

However, while police were dealing with the incident, 'selfish and impatient' motorists decided to drive the wrong way down the slip road.

A spokesperson for the police said: "We know this is very inconvenient to people's lives BUT to all of those selfish and impatient motorists who decided to drive the wrong way down the motorway slip road putting others at RISK - your ticket is in the post.

"No excuses for being a sheep!"

The ambulance was called to the incident but luckily the woman was ok and did not require a trip to hospital.