A motorist is believed to have called police from his mobile phone after he spotted the soil seeping on to the northbound carriageway.

"When we got there it was a bit worse than we thought and it got even worse after that," said motorway police Inspector John Bennett.

"We didn't have to close the motorway. It closed itself."

Police escorted water engineers to the scene, but it took more than three hours before the motorway could be reopened.

On Monday a spokesman for North West Water denied newspaper reports that more than 30 homes had been left without water while the pipes were fixed.

"Our engineers acted quickly and none of our customers were affected," he said.

Northbound traffic - stuck in a five-mile tailback - was diverted at Crewe and then back on to the M6 at Tabley.

Diversions continued until the motorway bridge near Holmes Chapel had been declared safe.

One lane was opened after midnight, but it was 4am before all carriageways were cleared.

"It is not the first time it has happened on that bridge, but when it does happen it is quite spectacular," said Insp Bennett.

"It looks like the whole lot is going to be washed away because it is like a dam bursting."

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