An air ambulance was been scrambled to a “very serious collision” which brought traffic on the M1 to a halt in West Yorkshire.

       The section of the motorway between Junctions 39 and 40, near Wakefield, was closed in both directions to allow emergency services to respond.

       Police and ambulance staff were called to the scene on the northbound carriageway after the incident at around 9:20pm on Monday.

       National Highways said the closure was due to a “very serious collision”, with the southbound carriageway shut to allow an air ambulance to land.

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       Traffic within the closure began to be allowed to leave at around 10.50pm.