There were dramatic scenes this evening as firefighters were called to a van that went up in flames on the Dartford Crossing.

Crews were sent to the clockwise carriageway of the M25 at 8.15pm.

Kent's firefighters joined colleagues from Essex as they put out the flames.

A spokesman for Kent Fire and Rescue Service said: "Three fire engines from Kent attended and crews wearing breathing apparatus extinguished the fire using a hose reel jet."

The smoke from the burning van could be seen from miles around.

The fire service spokesman added: "There were no reported injuries."

Traffic was held while the fire was put out. It was released at about 9pm.

The inside lane remained closed at 11pm but other lanes reopened at 9.45pm.

The fire was the latest in a long list of problems on the roads today, many caused by the number of people heading for the coast as temperatures soared.

Read more: All the latest news from Dartford