The clean-up has been completed after a severe blaze engulfed a lorry on the roundabout near the Tesco store in Dereham.

Eastern Daily Press: Lorry fire in Dereham. Photo: Graham EglenLorry fire in Dereham. Photo: Graham Eglen (Image: Graham Eglen)

The slip road from the A47 Dereham bypass and the road which leads to the Tesco and Lidl stores – as well as a range of businesses and Breckland Council's headquarters - were closed following the fire, which broke out just before 2pm yesterday.

The repair work was finished overnight and the roads are open as normal.

Four fire crews from Carrow, Earlham, Dereham and Watton tackled the fire in the lorry, which was carrying straw cutting machinery, on the slip road. Watch manager Emyr Gough said they took between 20 and 30 minutes to put out the flames.

Eastern Daily Press: Lorry fire in Dereham Picture: Richard WillsLorry fire in Dereham Picture: Richard Wills (Image: Archant)

'The crews worked very well to make the environment safe as quickly as they could,' he said.

'It was a heavy goods vehicle used as a straw cutter. It had its own fuel tanks so there was a large quantity of diesel on the truck.

'The diesel didn't ignite, the fire was in the fabric of the vehicle.'

Eastern Daily Press: The lorry fire in Dereham. Photo: Stewart BarberThe lorry fire in Dereham. Photo: Stewart Barber (Image: Stewart Barber)

People nearby spoke of hearing loud bangs on social media. Mr Gough said when HGVs were well alight, it was common for their tyres to explode.

No-one was injured in the fire. But shoppers, commuters and parents on the school run faced being diverted straight off the roundabout onto the west-bound A47, where long queues quickly built up.

There were also delays at the junction of the A47 and Draytonhall Lane, at Scarning.

https://twitter.com/BrecklandPolice/status/799276032004071424

Eastern Daily Press: The lorry which caught fire on the A47 slip road at Dereham. Picture: Chris BishopThe lorry which caught fire on the A47 slip road at Dereham. Picture: Chris Bishop (Image: Archant)

Eastern Daily Press: The lorry which caught fire on the A47 slip road at Dereham. Picture: Chris BishopThe lorry which caught fire on the A47 slip road at Dereham. Picture: Chris Bishop (Image: Archant)

Eastern Daily Press: The lorry which caught fire on the A47 slip road at Dereham. Picture: Chris BishopThe lorry which caught fire on the A47 slip road at Dereham. Picture: Chris Bishop (Image: Archant)