Motorists are suffering a nightmare on Kent roads this evening.

Coastbound traffic on the M20 is being delayed because of a vehicle blaze on the hard-shoulder between junction 4 with the A228 Castle Way at Leybourne (heading to Snodland) and junction 5 with the A20 at Aylesford.

Reports say queues are going back to junction 2 at Wrotham and delays are building on the M26.

The stretch of road is having its hard-shoulder removed as it is being turned into a Smart Motorway.

Jackie Bailey who lives nearby said: "I am very worried how close the new Lane One will be to our property when the work is complete.

"My neighbour has an oil tank at the bottom of his garden by the M20 and reckons if the fire had happened any closer it would have all gone up."

Kent police said Kent Fire and Rescue Services and Kent Highways were on the scene.

A spokesman for the fire service said: "We were called at 4.35pm to reports of a car alight in the roadworks between M20 junction 4 and junction 5 on the coastbound carriageway.

"Fire crews successfully extinguished the blaze using a high-pressure hose reel jet.

"There are no reports of any injuries.

"Highways England traffic officers were also in attendance."

The blaze was out by 5.15pm.

The M2 coastbound between Gillingham and Sittingbourne has also been shut this afternoon because of a crash and the A2 at Newington is still closed because of emergency gas repairs.

Motorists have taken to trying to bypass the delays by using back roads linking Sittingbourne to Medway but have also been hit by delays.

Carol Harden was stuck in her Kia car with her husband Tony and trying to get back to Gillingham.

She said: "It is horrendous. Large lorries are also trying to use these narrow roads and are getting stuck. Nothing is moving. It's stupid.

"We are lucky because we have air-conditioning but there is a woman in the car behind us with two young children without any water or without air-conditioning.

"We have been here an hour and haven't moved. Please warn other driver not to try to come this way."

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