FIRE crews worked for hours to free a driver following a serious incident involving a lorry on the M11 near Stansted.

Firefighters were called to the scene of a road traffic collision on the M11, northbound between Junction 8 (Stansted) and Junction 9 (Saffron Walden).

The call came at 8.23am this morning, March 22, after a lorry left the carriageway and ended up on its side down an embankment.

Braintree and Witham Times: lorry left the carriageway and ended up on its side down an embankmentlorry left the carriageway and ended up on its side down an embankment (Image: Essex Roads Policing)

Crews from Harlow, Stansted, Saffron Walden, Newport, Loughton, Dunmow, Cambridge and our Urban Search and Rescue team were in attendance.

They worked to cut the driver free after stabilising the vehicle.

Firefighters finally freed the driver shortly before midday and left him in the care of the Ambulance Service.

Essex Fire and Rescue's control team has also been liaising with environmental authorities with regards to a fuel leak, which firefighters managed to contain. 

Firefighters later left the scene with Essex Police and National Highways.

The road was closed during the whole incident, not reopening until shortly after 1pm.

A spokesman for Essex Roads Policing said: "Thank you for your support during todays M11 incident.

"A really good multi agency approach, providing emergency care to the driver, within a really challenging operating environment."