The M25 motorway has reopened after a lorry shed its load of cooking oil.

A lorry driver on the clockwise carriageway crashed into the central reservation at around 11.15am yesterday (Tuesday, April 19) between junctions 23 at South Mimms and 25 at Enfield.

Barrels of cooking oil were spilt over the road, and the M25 was shut while the Metropolitan Police and National Highways began a "complex" clean-up operation.

The motorway was closed overnight but reopened at around 11.30am today (Wednesday, April 20). Some lanes are still closed.

A National Highways statement reads: "The M25 in Hertfordshire clockwise between junctions 23 and 25 is now open.

"Two lanes (of four) remain closed.

"These lanes will remain closed until complex road surface clean-up works are complete.

"This is likely to be ongoing throughout the day and overnight."

%image(15460072, type="article-full", alt="The clean-up operation on the M25 clockwise yesterday (Tuesday, April 25) after a lorry shed its load of cooking oil over the motorway")

A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: "Officers were called at about 11.15am on April 19 to the M25, between junction 24 and 25.

"A lorry was reported to have been in collision with the central reservation and spilt cooking oil over the road."

Some motorists were trapped on the closed portion of road for between four and six hours before they were turned around or released.

There were previously delays of up to 90 minutes on the M25 clockwise between the M1 at Watford and the closure at the A1 for Hatfield and Barnet.

The A414 at London Colney, Hatfield and Hertford was also congested, and motorists on the A406 North Circular in London faced queues between Brent Cross and Tottenham.

%image(15460075, type="article-full", alt="Queues on the A406 North Circular at Tottenham - part of the "hollow triangle" diversion to avoid the M25 clockwise closure")

%image(15460077, type="article-full", alt="Queues on the M25 clockwise between the M1 at Watford and the A1 at South Mimms")

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