Traffic stopped on M1 at Wakefield after seven vehicle accident

Highways England said they had closed the southbound carriageway between junction 41 (Carr Gate) and junction 40 (Ossett) "due to the amount of vehicles involved in the accident".

The agency suggested that as many as seven vehicles had been involved in the incident.

West Yorkshire Police are on scene and Traffic Officers are en route to help remove the vehicles from the road, they said.

It is believed the accident happened shortly before 4.30pm today (Wednesday, December 11).

More than five miles of traffic has been reported, with congestion on the M62 and M621 as a result of the accident.

Refresh this page for updates as they become available.

Update, 4.57pm: Highways England have issued an official diversion while the closure remains in place. Click here to view the diversion in full.

Update, 5.10pm: The road has now reopened to all traffic, though lane 1 remains closed to assist with the recovery of vehicles. Heavy traffic remains in the area and is expected to take some time to clear.