Storm Franklin: Strong winds cause M6 lorry crash

A lorry caught fire on the M6 after high winds from Storm Franklin caused it to crash into a bridge.

The driver was helped out of the cab by other motorists and was taken to hospital with head injuries, Lancashire Police said.

Elsewhere, a fallen tree blocked the A666, a school was closed due to roof damage and an empty house collapsed.

Severe flood warnings led to more than 70 homes being evacuated in Manchester and widespread flooding in Yorkshire.

The lorry fire at Euxton blocked the M6 northbound carriageway between junction 27 at Standish and 28 at Leyland, causing long delays.

Lancashire Road Police tweeted that high winds had caused the HGV "to hit a bridge and burst into flames on M6" at about 05:00 GMT.

The force said the driver "luckily escaped" from his cab with help from other motorists.

National Highways said the northbound carriageway had since reopened, but two of the three lanes would be shut for the remainder of the day as the lorry fire caused significant damage.

It said there were currently four miles of congestion on the approach to where the crash happened.

The storm left hundreds of homes and businesses in Lancashire without power.

Engineers are working to restore power in Ormskirk, Rossendale and near Blackburn, Electricity North West said.

Further north, the A666 was closed between Darwen and Egerton after a tree came down at Cadshaw Farm.

In Chorley, strong winds lifted the roof of an empty property and a wall collapsed at about 05:00.

The council said there were no casualties and added it was liaising with the Health and Safety Executive and the home owner.

The winds have also caused disruption to public transport.

Rail operator Northern suspended all services in the North West until 10:30 GMT and advised people "not to attempt to travel" on the network until Tuesday.

Avanti West Coast and TransPennine Express reported delays to trains from Preston to Glasgow Central and Edinburgh Waverley.

Buses replaced trams in Blackpool and the storm also caused delays to ferry sailings between the Isle of Man and Heysham.

In Barnoldswick, Coates Lane Primary School has been shut for the day after the storm caused "considerable damage" to the roof.

Fleetwood Town FC has called off Tuesday's League One clash with Sheffield Wednesday due to storm damage at their Highbury Stadium.

The club said the wind had caused structural damage to the Parkside stand.

Nearby Memorial Park is also being closed as a "precautionary measure" due to storm damage at the stadium, Wyre Council said.

It tweeted a warning to residents in the surrounding area "to take care and be aware of the risk of flying debris while winds are still high".

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