MOTORISTS were stuck in huge tailbacks after a six-car pile up on the M6.

Four lorries and two cars were involved in the crash, two miles from the Charnock Richard Services between junction 27 and 28 at 10.25am yesterday.

The northbound carriageway between the two junctions was closed for more than eight hours while debris and diesel spillages were cleared up.

A motorist was airlifted to hospital, but none of the drivers or passengers were thought to be seriously injured.

The crash caused huge delays tailing back as far as Greater Manchester.

Traffic was diverted around nearby A roads, which had the knock on effect of rush-hour tailbacks on those routes.

In the early afternoon engineers removed part of the central reservation to allow northbound traffic to move on by using one lane on the southbound carriageway.

Later last night one northbound lane was re-opened.

Until the traffic had been cleared, Highways Agency staff were not able to get in and clean the road, a process which was finally complete in the evening.