The M25 was shut for hours today when a lorry spilled 3,000 litres of chemicals over the road.
The spillage near Theydon Bois in Essex brought chaos as the motorway was closed from early this morning clockwise between junctions 26 and 27.
Hundreds were trapped in their cars for hours and scores missed flights from Stansted Airport over the Bank Holiday weekend.
Police said they were contacted by several motorists shortly before 5am following reports that a number of containers had fallen off the back of a lorry which had struck the central reservation.
Officers arrived and found approximately 3,000 litres of a chemical liquid on the road. They were forced to close the road for safety reasons and the Highways Agency began implementing diversions.
Tottenham Hotspur had to delay their match against Southampton at White Hart Lane by half an hour because supporters had traffic problems.
A 43-year-old man from Bulgaria was arrested on suspicion of committing motoring offences and was being questioned by road policing officers at Harlow police station.
Police said at 3pm that the carriageway remained closed and it was hoped it would be reopened in a few more hours.
