A northbound stretch of the M42 was this morning closed after a six-vehicle pile-up "sent marshmallows and beer spilling out onto the carriageway", the BBC reports.

Several lorries and a van were involved in the incident at around 04:00 GMT. The motorway is closed at junctions 10 and 11 near Tamworth Services, and the Highways Agency said "delays of about 30 minutes were expected".

The agency added the road was "likely to remain closed until Friday afternoon" pending the arrival of a clean-up team of sweet-toothed alcoholics. ®