Police had to close the M20 at Ashford this morning after a car crashed into the central reservation.

The accident happened in thick fog on the coastbound carriageway near junction 10 at around 6.30am.

Police say the driver of the VW Golf swerved to avoid hitting a badger.

The car smashed into the central reservation, shedding debris over the road and over the London-bound carriageway.

Police spokesman Jon Green said: “We were called to reports a car had collided with the central reservation on the M20 and had spun round and was facing the wrong way.

“We understand they had swerved to avoid hitting a badger. The carriageway was closed while the car was removed and it was all clear by 8.15am.”

The two men in the car were unhurt.

Police set up a rolling roadblock and diverted coast-bound traffic off the M20 at junction 10.

Fire crews from Ashford and Folkestone were called and were at the scene for around 40 minutes.

Firefighter Farrell Cox, from Ashford station, said: “It was very foggy at the time of the accident.

“There was debris all over the road and over the other carriageway as well.”

The two men in the car were checked by ambulance staff but were not injured.

A couple of hours later, at about 11.15am, the coast-bound carriageway of the M20 was closed between junctions 10 and 11, again because of animals.

The brakes on a horse box they were travelling in started to overheat so the owner pulled onto the hard shoulder.

She let the two horses out and there was concern as they were standing untethered and could have bolted into the path of traffic.

The situation was quickly sorted with the horses put back in the box and the road re-opened.