MOTORISTS from North and West Yorkshire were left fuming in tailbacks stretching for more than ten miles when a lorry caught fire on the A1.

The lorry carrying gas cylinders was ablaze for several hours when it caught fire at Cowthorpe, between the Wetherby and Walshford junctions.

Both lanes of the A1 were closed from just after 11.30am yesterday for nearly three hours.

Roads through Tadcaster and Wetherby were gridlocked along with a section of the A64.

Three fire crews attended, from Wetherby, Tadcaster and Knaresborough, and an extra water bowser was called for.

The road was closed when one of the four propane cylinders exploded on the northbound carriageway and the fire was so hot that some of the road surface melted.

One land of the northbound carriageway was closed until 6pm.

No one was injured.