M56 closed in Merseyside for police-led incident overnight
M56 closed for police-led incident near Runcorn

The M56 is closed in Merseyside for a police-led incident, transport bosses have confirmed. The eastbound carriageway is shut between junction 14 (Hapsford) and junction 12 (Runcorn).

Closure announced overnight

National Highways, the organisation that runs England's motorways, announced the closure at roughly 1:30am. A statement said: "The M56 eastbound is closed between J14 (Hapsford) and J12 (Runcorn) for a police led incident."

Emergency services at the scene

Cheshire Police lead the response to the ongoing incident and have closed the carriageway to allow emergency services to work at the scene. National Highways have resources in attendance to assist with traffic management.

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Delays are likely on approach to the closure, and diversion routes for HGVs and regular traffic have been announced. This is a live news event, with updates expected as the incident develops.

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