

Comedian Jimmy Carr has been branded "sick" after tweeting a joke about a car crash less than 48 hours after seven people lost their lives in the M5 fireball crash.

The comic tweeted: "An couple married for 66 yrs died within 3 days of each other. That's nothing. My grandparents died on exactly the same day.... car crash."

The joke posted on his official Twitter page was quickly slammed by people for being insensitive.

Budweiser13 tweeted "bit sick considering recent events #M5Crash" at Carr while InsignificantMe wrote: "Considering my friend just lost both her grandparent in the #m5crash a bit of forward thinking would be great!!"

Joe__Austin said: "jimmy #m5crash lil too soon for a joke don't u think?" while GinaDevereux tweeted: "thats so NOT funny at this time #M5crash"

Carr made the joke just after police investigating one of the worst British motorway crashes in memory said they were now focusing their inquiry on a fireworks event taking place nearby around the time of the fatal accident.

The 34-vehicle pile-up, which triggered a giant fireball on the M5 in Somerset, claimed seven lives and left 51 injured on Friday evening.

Avon and Somerset Police said witnesses had reported "significant smoke" across the carriageway that was "impossible to drive through."

The probe into what caused the tragedy will be a crime investigation as well as a road policing one, with major crime teams looking into what happened, it was announced.

Assistant Chief Constable Anthony Bangham said: "What I am now able to say this afternoon is that our main line of inquiry has now moved towards the event that was on the side of the carriageway and we do believe that while there was fog and it was difficult conditions in the area, that actually from witness evidence there was very significant smoke across the carriageway that in effect caused a bank similar to a fog bank, which was very distracting and very difficult to drive through.

"We will be doing everything we can to find out as quickly as we're able to what's behind that."

Listen to survivor's amazing account of deadly motorway accident

Woman tells how she cheated death in motorway fireball smash

(Image: PA)

Witnesses at the fireworks display - held at Taunton Rugby Club - were being interviewed, he said, adding that accountability was "clearly something we will look at."

He went on: "We believe from the witnesses and from what we're being told that it was smoke and not fog.

"The vehicles and people who were entering into the smoke bank have just described it as being impossible to drive through and that of course causing them to brake.

"So we know there was brakes and then there was the impacts."

The rugby club has said previously that its display was over by 8.15pm.

The motorway remained closed in both directions between junctions 24 and 25 today following the incident, which took place at about 8.25pm in wet and foggy conditions on the northbound carriageway.

But police said they expected to be able to reopen it at some point overnight in readiness for traffic travelling north and southbound tomorrow morning.