A WOMAN had a lucky escape when her car tyre blew out at 3.30pm yesterday.

She was westbound one mile east of junction 17 when the car slewed into the central reservation.

It took out 30 metres of protective wire .

PC Mark Hood of Swindon Traffic Police said: "The lady had God on her side. Tyre blow-outs can create serious problems for drivers, particularly the inexperienced.

"She escaped uninjured."

Traffic built up but traffic police cleared the road within an hour and the motorway was flowing again around quarter of an hour later.