Furious motorists have hit out after they were left stranded on a busy motorway without food or water for more than eight hours.
Police closed the M1 in both directions between junction 15 for Northampton and junction 14 for Milton Keynes yesterday after a ‘suspicious package’ was discovered beneath a bridge.
Thames Valley Police later confirmed it was a corrosive substance which had leaked across two lanes.
But the emergency services have now faced a backlash from thousands of stricken drivers who criticised the ‘appalling’ conditions they faced as they sat on the road all day.
Police closed the M1 in both directions between junction 15 for Northampton and junction 14 for Milton Keynes
People took to social media to criticise the lack of information as they sat on the M1
Some drivers were stuck in tailbacks stretching more than five miles, having been caught in the chaos as they made their way to work around 7.30am.
Tim Mayer, a Conservative councillor from Coventry, who was caught up in the delays, said communication from police was ‘appalling’.
Emergency services did not give any updates, said Mr Mayer, leaving thousands of people stuck on the side of the road since breakfast.
‘There are a few people with coffee in the car who have shared it around and others with some boiled sweets who have been generous,’ Mr Mayer said.
‘But the communication [from police] has been appalling.’
He was stuck on the road from 8am, without any direction from the emergency services.
‘There’s been absolutely no communication bar what you can pick up from the local press and Twitter,’ he said.
There was solidarity among the people stuck, who made light of the situation and shared supplies among themselves
BBC footage from the scene this afternoon shows the bomb disposal unit being sent to assess the ‘suspicious object’, as drivers continue to sit in their cars and wait
Tailbacks are stretching back several miles, with some drivers having been stuck in traffic for more than nine hours
Tim Mayer, a Conservative councillor from Coventry, said communication from police was ‘appalling’. He tweeted this image of someone using their laptop
Georgie Cooper, who was stuck for nine hours, told MailOnline: ‘I totally understand that as a country, we need to be extra vigilant however it seems excessive to have shut the M1 and kept so many people waiting for at least eight hours.
‘I really do think that some water should have been provided at least.
‘Even better, the police/Highways Agency should have allowed us to turn around from the back of the queue and return to Northampton or dismantle the barrier to let us onto the empty Northbound carriageway after a reasonable amount of time.
‘We had one verbal update from the police on the scene at approx 3.30pm who advised that if we weren’t moving within the next hour then the barriers would be cut to allow us through, however this never happened.
‘Other than this we relied on Twitter, MailOnline and guessing what was going on via Google Maps, as well as Chinese whispers.
‘It must have been pretty alarming for those with no access to the internet when they saw fire engines and bomb squad pass followed later by ambulances!
‘We got moving at 5pm but were taken to Milton Keynes which meant we added to the already heavily congested alternative routes. A journey that should have taken us less than half an hour took one and a half.
‘I feel for those that missed departures for their holidays, hospital appointments and the self employed greatly but ultimately I’m very glad that no one was hurt and I did enjoy my large Dominos and G&T once we got home.’
Many tried to see the funny side of the situation as the traffic jam reached its fourth hour – and they wondered when the Carlsberg truck might open for business
Many exasperated drivers got out of their cars to have a chat and share their frustration after becoming stranded on the road
Mark Stones told MailOnline he had been stuck in the traffic since 8am with no updates from emergency services.
He said: ‘People are thirsty and need the toilet. Why is there no communication?’
Barry Hamilton wrote on Twitter: ‘The M1 was handled so poorly by the fire services/police yesterday’.
Pictures from the scene show people getting out of their cars and playing football, tag rugby, frisbee and even jogging along the carriageway.
Police eventually reopened the northbound carriageway at 5pm yesterday, eight-and-a-half hours after the motorway was closed. The southbound carriageway of the M1 did not reopen until 10.30pm.
A spokesman for Highways England told MailOnline northbound traffic was released from the motorway via a service station while southbound traffic was turned around by police.
Stranded drivers and passengers decided to get a team together and enjoy a kickabout on the other side of the usually busy road
Those caught up in the delays have been amusing themselves and stretching their legs on the empty side of the carriageway
The discovery was made around 7.30am today and Thames Valley Police officers and bomb disposal experts were quickly at the scene
Many have complained they have been stranded in the traffic without any information from the authorities
Thames Valley Police Inspector Scott Long said: ‘The object has now been removed from the scene in a secure container but is still being analysed, however, we do know the substance is a highly corrosive material, possibly hydrochloric acid, which has reacted with another substance causing it to discharge on to lane one and lane two of the southbound carriageway.
Mr Long said investigators were keeping an ‘open mind’ as to how the substance was left at the scene, and said that while there was no evidence the incident was terror-related, it was currently being investigated as a possible offence ‘with intent to cause danger to other road users’.
Police, fire services and the Army bomb unit were called to the scene between junctions 14 and 15 of the motorway, after the object was found at 7.30am on Tuesday.
Aerial footage showed liquid and a yellow substance leaking out of a black bin liner on the hard shoulder, inspected by a bomb disposal robot.