Fire breaks out at busy M3 motorway service station between London and Southampton

A huge blaze has erupted at a service station on a busy motorway in the south of England.

Motorists have been advised to avoid the M3, between junction four and five, as firefighters tackle the blaze near Basingstoke.

The fire is believed to have started from a KFC at the Fleet service station.

One eyewitness told the Express: "The fire started from KFC as a machine exploded. Everyone had been evacuated safely. The flames spread very quickly.

"I have never seen anything like it."

More than 50 firefighters descended onto the scene of the blaze on the M3, which connects London and Southampton.

A spokesman for Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service told IBTimes UK that the fire had been brought under control, but was still burning.

"We were called at 10.30pm with reports of a fire starting in one of the restaurants in the Fleet service station on the M3.

"We sent more than 50 firefighters from Hampshire and Surrey who have managed to bring the fire under control, but the fire is still going strong, so we will be here for a fair few hours yet.

"Once we have extinguished it, we will need to ensure there is no chance of reignition. All of that needs to be done before we can start trying to establish what the cause of the fire was."

The M3 was previously closed in both directions, but has now reopened travelling northbound.