A DRIVER caused tailbacks after he stopped on a road because he refused to get his tyres muddy, an angry city worker says.

The witness, who declined to be named, said he was driving towards Worcester for work on Wednesday when he and other drivers were diverted off the M5 because of a lorry fire between junction 5 (Droitwich) and junction 6 (Worcester).

The worker, who was heading for his shift in Worcester city centre, said he was two hours late for work as a result of the fire - and the actions of the BMW driver who would not move his vehicle on the narrow road.

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The man said he was forced to come off the M42 at junction 1 because of the fire and got held up on Timberhonger Lane.

He said: "This was because of a BMW just sitting there and didn't want to get mud on his tyres. We managed to get him to move forward as he wanted all of us to turn around.

"We told him we are going forward then a van in the oncoming direction got stuck in a ditch and had to be pulled out. I was in a mood as he wanted us all to turn around. I was supposed to be at Worcester from 5pm until 3am. 

"I finally got there at 7.30pm and we got the driver to move up as I was in uniform but then a van coming towards us got stuck in a ditch and had to be pulled out with chains. 

"I arrived in Worcester and headed straight back home as the engineers were finished, all this because of a lorry fire on the M5 between junctions 5 and 6."