MOTORWAY traffic was disrupted as firefighters fought flames which engulfed a trailer filled with hay and straw on Thursday.

Traffic on the M20 was reduced to one lane during the incident which began at around 12 noon close to junction four at Larkfield.

Two crews from Larkfield and one from Maidstone were called to douse the blaze, in which no-one was hurt.

"It gives off a lot of smoke," said Fireman Martin Hussey, of red watch at Maidstone Fire Station.

"Fortunately, it was all blowing away from the motorway - it would have been chaotic otherwise."

The road was reopened at 3.58pm.

Highways Agency spokeswoman Kate Woods said: "We had to get a grab lorry in to take the trailer away, and we also had to get a sweeper down there to sweep the road because it was hay and straw.

"For safety, we had to cone off that area while we did the sweeping."