Chippenham firefighters headed for the M4 in the early hours of Monday to tackle a blaze on a tanker carrying 4,500 gallons of Stella Artois lager.

The driver of the articulated lorry spotted smoke coming from the vehicle and pulled over in the slip road just reaching the service area at the Leigh Delamere services, on the eastbound carriageway of the M4.

The firefighters received the call at 3.53am and two Chippenham appliances joined one from Malmesbury as well as a water carrier to tackle the blaze.

The fire was restricted to the lorry's tractor unit, which was extensively damaged.

The police attended but the slip road into the service station was kept open.

The firefighters were kept busy at the service station for an hour and three quarters.