AN ARTICULATED lorry carrying Lego pieces jack-knifed on the slip road joining the M20 at Maidstone early this morning causing traffic chaos for rush-hour motorists. The lorry was joining the London-bound cariageway of the motorway at junction 6, the Sandling Road turn-off to the A229, when the accident happened.

It crashed through the concrete barrier separating the two-lane feeder road from the main carriageway and overturned, blocking both lanes of the feeder road and the first lane of the motorway.

The driver was not seriously injured and no other vehicles were involved in the crash, which happened at about 5.30am.

Diesel from the lorry's ruptured fuel tank spread across the road adding to the problems of the police who closed off the feeder road to Aylesford, the slip road and one lane of the motorway.

Fire crews and council environmental health officers were called out to make the road safe, but police decided not to even attempt to call in a crane to right the lorry until after the rush-hour.

Th recovery operation was due to start at 10am when police expected to close yet another lane of the motorway. They anticipated the recovery would be complete by 11am.

Meanwhile, queues built up throughout Maidstone and back into the Medway Towns, as motorists struggled to find an alternative route.