POLICE probing the death of a man who drove the wrong way up a motorway slip road, today said he could have been driving erratically just moments before the crash.

And they are urging witnesses to come forward with information after the accident which left the motorway closed for four hours and East Lancashire roads gridlocked.

Police said the 55-year-old driver from Todmorden who has not been formally identified, was driving an unusual white hatchback 'Aixam' vehicle.

Samuel Walters Burger, 24, from Preston, was in a second car involved in the incident. He was allowed home from Blackburn Royal Infirmary after treatment for shock and minor injuries.

Inspector Peter Sas, of Lancashire motorway police, said the slip road was clearly marked and the driver had gone through no-entry signs to get on to it.

The accident, which occurred at 7am, affected thousands of rush-hour motorists as the tailback stretched to Preston at the height of the delays. The motorway was re-opened around 10.50am.

A number of prominent A-roads surrounding Blackburn were gridlocked and many commuters arrived late into work.

Police said motorists who drove past the accident scene before police arrived and those who saw the white hatchback travelling westbound on the motorway or in the Whitebirk roundabout area were crucial to the investigation.

Insp Sas said: "We are interested in anybody who has seen a small, white hatchback car prior to the accident on the M65 travelling westbound from Burnley towards Blackburn.

"He came off the motorway at Whitebirk island. We don't know whether he had then come off and gone straight back on or had stopped somewhere.

"We would like to speak to anyone who has seen this vehicle in the Whitebirk area or if they have seen such a vehicle travelling erratically prior to 7am. We don't know at this stage what caused it. The damage was that bad we don't know which lane he was driving in or how fast he was going.

"That is something the accident investigation teams would establish."

Due to the closure of the M65 Traffic was diverted through Blackburn town centre. Traffic on the A666 Bolton Road was heavily delayed, the A59 Preston New Road was also used as a diversion route causing queuing traffic. Preston New Road on to Barbara Castle Way was also extremely busy.

And the M6 was also affected, particularly around junction 31 on to the A59.

Anyone with any information should call motorway police on 01772 410465.