This is the moment the M25 was brought to a standstill this afternoon after a group of suspected illegal immigrants jumped out of the back of a lorry and ran across eight lanes of traffic.

Officers a group of men using a police helicopter and marked cars as they ran through traffic on Britain's busiest motorway after suddenly bursting out of the back of a lorry.

Aerial footage from the scene, taken by a Surrey Police helicopter, shows cars gridlocked on the motorway as police desperately tried to detain the men.

Six men have since been arrested by officers during the chaos, which saw the motorway closed in both directions near Cobham Services, in Surrey, at around 1pm.

Police were forced to close a section of the M25 motorway next to Cobham Services in Surrey (top left of picture) this afternoon after a group of suspected illegal immigrants jumped out of the back of a lorry and ran across eight lanes of traffic

The motorway was closed in both directions for more than an hour causing huge tail backs of traffic

The lorry driver was spoken to after the incident but no arrests were made. Police have now confirmed they were not looking for anyone else.

The incident caused major queues on the road as London ground to a halt in the Tube strikes.

The motorway was closed for around half an hour between junctions nine and ten causing temporary tailbacks as officers chased down the group.

A Surrey Police spokesman: 'At the time we knew these people had run from the rear of a truck. It matters not why, it was running on the motorway is the issue.

The chaos saw the motorway closed in both directions near Cobham Services, in Surrey, between junctions 9 and 10

'After we have stopped them and spoken with them we confirm they entered the UK illegally.'

Police questioned the lorry driver but he is not believed to have been arrested.

Lara Sams, 21, was on her way to the University of Reading for her graduation ceremony, when she saw the men run across four lanes of traffic.

They vaulted the central reservation while traffic was slowed to 40mph and ran across the remaining lanes.

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Ms Sams, from Maidstone, Kent, said: 'I saw two young guys running across the lanes and they got across the central reservation.

'They managed to run up the grass bank and there was no police chasing them at that point.

'It could have been horrible if the traffic was going faster.

'It just shows how desperate these guys are. It's quite sad really. It makes you wonder how terrible the things they were coming from.'

People started getting out of their cars after the closed motorway carriages in Surrey caused severe tailbacks

The suspected illegal immigrants were seen fleeing across eight lanes of traffic sparking safety fears and a closure of the motorway. Six of the men were apprehended and arrested by police during the chaos

The incident caused major queues on the road which was closed for around half an hour between junctions nine and ten

Motorist Oliver Goldsmith, who was caught in the queue on the M25, took a selfie in front of the empty the motorway carriage which was closed by police after immigrants escaped a lorry and ran across traffic

Surrey Police Chief Constable Lynne Owens said anyone caught detaining illegal immigrants could face 'significant implications'.

Queues of stationary cars on the closed M25 got so severe that motorists decided to get out of their vehicles.

Images show drivers walking on the closed motorway as police chased down the group of suspected illegal immigrants.

An officer using the Surrey Road Cops Twitter account joked: 'We are starting to run out of handcuffs.'

Surrey Police confirmed six people had been arrested on suspicion of illegal entry into the country.

The force said they will now be passed over to UK Visas and Immigration.