Extreme ironing was born in the UK, so perhaps it should come as no surprise that one opportunistic enthusiast used the closure of the M1 motorway to indulge his passion for the sport.

Described as "the latest danger sport that combines the thrills of an extreme outdoor activity with the satisfaction of a well-pressed shirt", extreme ironing fittingly has its roots in Leicester, served by the M1.

Phil Shaw, who has written the definitive book on the sport, is oft credited with inventing it in 1997, and since then instances have sprung up across the globe.

Last year the travel website Gadling.com compiled the 10 best ironing stunts from around the world, featuring two separate instances of ironing on canoes and a particularly daring attempt to press a shirt while skydiving.

The dressing gown-clad individual who jogged onto the M1 to iron what appeared to be a single white shirt in reality had enough time to rattle through the rest of his wardrobe, with all southbound lanes between junctions one and four remaining closed until further notice because of fire damage.

The seven-mile section has been shut since Friday after a blaze at a scrapyard underneath an elevated section in the Mill Hill area of north London. The full width of the motorway will not reopen until the middle or end of next week.

The good news for extreme ironers is sadly unlikely to offset the misery suffered by motorists and holidaymakers.