A MAN has died after a five-vehicle smash on the M6 motorway.

Police and emergency services were called to the M6 northbound between junctions 30 and 31 at around 1.30pm.

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Police used a rolling road block to close the motorway completely in both directions.

The air ambulance was scrambled and landed on the southbound carriageway to attend to a male who had sustained serious injuries in one of the vehicles.

Police said the man was pronounced dead at Royal Preston Hospital at around 2.30pm.

Other people were described as ‘walking wounded’ by police with no further serious injuries reported.

The age and identity of the deceased has not yet been released by officers.

The motorway remained closed causing major tailbacks as road accident investigators conducted enquiries and debris and vehicles were recovered.

The southbound carriageway was re-opened at around 3pm and the northbound side was returning to normal at around 4.30pm.