The M20 has reopened after a police car burst into flames this afternoon.

Huge queues built up along the Londonbound carriageway near Ashford.

Plumes of black smoke filled the sky with the car completely ablaze just after 4pm. But officers made light of the incident after the two officers managed to escape the BMW patrol car.

Highways England said just after 5pm that traffic had been released in two lanes after the blaze between junction 11 for Hythe and junction 10 for Ashford.

One lane had been closed to allow recovery teams to clear the vehicle, police said.

The other side of the motorway was also closed as smoke was billowing across the coastbound carriageway.

A tweet from Kent Police's road unit used #hotfuzz to joke about the incident.

A Kent Police spokesman said: "The London-bound carriageway of the M20 is currently closed at junction 10, Ashford, following a car fire.

"The fire, which was reported at 4.06pm on Monday 17 October, has destroyed a Kent Police traffic vehicle. No other vehicles were involved and no injuries have been reported.

"The fire has now been extinguished and the coast-bound carriageway is open but the London-bound carriageway is expected to be closed for some time while the vehicle is recovered."

It is advised for motorists to use the A20 while Kent Highways is advising traffic from the Port of Dover to use the A2 and M2.

It follows an earlier crash when a car careered into the central reservation near the Channel Tunnel terminal earlier.

Police were called to the smash on the coastbound carriageway at 3pm.

One lane of the coastbound carriageway had been closed between junction 11a and junction 12 for Cheriton.

A police spokesman said: "Police officers and traffic officers from Highways England went to the scene where the car was blocking the inside lane. No injuries were reported.

"The carriageway was closed while the car was moved to the hard shoulder and has now been reopened."

Traffic was beginning to move again shortly after 3.30pm.