Huge delays on major road and motorway service station shut after 10-mile oil spill

A massive 10-mile oil spillage is causing delays this morning as a service station on the M25 was forced to close.

The A24 all the way from Beare Green to Leatherhead in Surrey is closed northbound.

The oil has spilled along the stretch of the A24 and also onto junction nine of the M25.

Around 16,000 litres of oil was spilled as disruption around the area is expected to continue for days, according to the local council.

Cobham Services on the M25 was closed this morning so that specialist environmental teams could clean up.

The services are located 4.5 miles along the M25 from junction nine.

The traffic monitoring site Inrix says: ‘A lorry has leaked oil along the entire stretch from Beare Green to Leatherhead and onto the M25 at J9. There is also a closure in Dorking and between Beare Green and Dorking.’

Traffic data from Google shows the A24 closed off for 10 miles northbound and traffic in the area is expected to build up.

So far the M25 near Leatherhead is clear of traffic.

Surrey Police has advised drivers to avoid the area and said in a statement: ‘Please avoid the A24 northbound between Beare Green and Leatherhead as there has been a significant fuel spillage.

‘Road closures are in place, and the affected areas are likely to be closed for some time with further updates to follow. Thanks for your patience.’

A spokesperson for Surrey County Council said: ‘Following the diesel spillage on the A24 between the Beare Green roundabout to the Leatherhead M25 junction (J9), the road remains closed northbound.

‘Surrey Highways teams are on site making the area safe and dealing with the clean-up of this significant spillage that is approximately 16,000 litres and spans 10 miles of road.

‘Extensive traffic disruption is expected throughout today and over the coming days. Drivers are advised to avoid the area until further notice and keep an eye on Surrey Highways social media channels for regular updates.’

Ross Mendenhall, Operations Director at Extra MSA – which operates Cobham Services – said: ‘An HGV entered the site with a leaking fuel tank which resulted in diesel being spilled throughout the service area.

‘Specialist environmental clean up teams are en route and in situ.

‘We are working as fast as we can to resolve the issue but estimate that the operation will take a few hours before we can safely re-open for vehicles.’

The closure on the A24 is also currently causing heavy traffic in and out of Dorking.

Other smaller road closures are also in place from the A246 Young Street to B2033 Reigate Road , from the A29 Bognor Road to the A2003 Flint Hill (Dorking) and from the A25 Reigate Road in Dorking to B2209 in Westhumble.

Drivers have also been warned to expect further delays and only travel if necessary because a part of the M25 will be closed from 9pm on Friday.

The motorway will be closed between junctions 10 and 11 until 6am on Monday July 15.

The section in Surrey will be closed because of construction and installation of a bridge on the roundabout at junction 10.

This will be the third of full five weekend closures on the M25 – the other two will take place later this year.

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