A prisoner who escaped prison and went on the run through the night has been re-captured, police have confirmed.
Jonathan Simpson absconded from HMP Thorn Cross in Appleton, Cheshire, on Wednesday morning, with detectives scouring the area and closing vast stretches of motorway.
Slip roads at M6/M56 junction 9 Lymm interchange were shut off causing major tailbacks as motorists waited in queues for hours.
The incident did, however, mean an ice cream van operator, caught up in the gridlock, could make some money, with a video on Twitter showing drivers buying icy treats.
Simpson, 41, who was locked up for a burglary offence, was eventually tracked down and arrested, Cheshire Police said earlier today, reports CheshireLive.
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He spent around 24 hours on the run, having managed to slip out of the prison at around 9am.
The circumstances of his escape are not clear.
All traffic was halted in both directions on the M6 at around 6.30pm following what was initially described as a "police incident".
Queues then tailed back for miles to junction 19 and onto the M56.
The force then confirmed the closures were to allow for searches to find the missing prisoner, who was still at large.
Anyone with information as to Simpson's whereabouts was urged to get in touch.
In a video shared to Twitter by Ross Harper, he can be heard saying: "No word of a lie, an ice cream van is serving ice cream, on the M56."
He adds: "I best go and get myself a '99."
Ross told the Manchester Evening News : "We were stuck on the M56 for around three hours.
"I think somebody must have knocked on the ice cream van window asking if they could get an ice cream and then the next thing you know more and more people were rocking up to get one, I was literally in stitches when I was watching it happen."
The clip is taken from the hard shoulder of the carriageway, and shows three lanes of congestion, with the ice cream van in the middle lane.
At the end of the clip, Ross is seen holding a vanilla ice cream topped with hundreds and thousands and sauce.
Referring to Simpson, Inspector Neil Anson said yesterday: “We currently have numerous officers and police dogs visible in ongoing searches for Simpson.
“Officers will be maintaining a presence around the prison and in the local area to provide reassurance to the community.
"If you have any concerns please do speak to one of them.”
The M6 reopened to all traffic at around 8.30pm on Wednesday.
