Motorway closure causes delays

A motorway closure following a fatal accident is causing delays for football fans travelling to the FA Cup final.

Liverpool Football Club fans travelling to the match against Chelsea are being advised to avoid the M40 motorway following the accident earlier on Saturday.

At 5am a Mercedes people carrier taxi carrying six passengers travelling south crashed through the central reservation into the northbound carriageway between junctions eight and nine.

One of the passengers, all of whom were men, was pronounced dead at the scene and three other passengers were taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford with serious injuries, one with life-threatening injuries.

Sergeant Bryan Smith, of Thames Valley Police, said: "The M40 has been closed in both directions between junction eight at Thame and junction nine at Bicester.

"We anticipate that the road will be closed for a number of hours to allow for an investigation of the collision to take place and full clear-up operation to happen.

"I would advise all motorists to avoid the road and find alternative routes as the road closure is expected to be in place for several hours."

The southbound carriageway, affecting the football fans travelling to London, is not expected to re-open until 11am with the northbound due to re-open at noon, according to traffic information company INRIX.

Diversions are in place using the A40 around the north east of Oxford and then the A34.

An INRIX spokesman said: "Liverpool fans heading south are advised to use the M1."