Toll charges at the Dartford Crossing were suspended following a fire which caused severe delays.

Drivers queued for several hours during Friday's rush-hour after a lorry blaze on the QEII Bridge.

But for once they were not asked to pay for the privilege - highways chiefs decided to lift the barriers to ease the congestion.

Motorists were advised to use alternative routes after the bridge was shut and Kent-bound traffic was directed through one of the crossing's tunnels, leaving cars heading clockwise to squeeze into the other.

In the worst of the delays traffic had backed up to junction 4 of the anti-clockwise carriageway of the M25 in Kent.

It's the first time tolls have been suspended since the new coalition government announced it would consider the option when traffic delays grew too severe.

The last time it happened was in July 2009 when an electricity blackout, which left thousands of homes in darkness, cut power at the toll booths.