A man and a woman have died in a motorway pile-up involving two cars and two lorries.

The victims were both pronounced dead at the scene of the crash on the M1, which happened shortly after 2.45pm yesterday.

Police said two lorries and two cars were involved in the crash, between junctions 24a and 25 on the southbound carriageway, near Kegworth.

The circumstances of how the vehicles collided has not been released.

Police confirmed today that a 66-year-old man and a 64-year-old woman, both from Leicester, were the victims. They were the driver and passenger of one of the cars.

The two occupants of the second car are being treated at Derbyshire Royal Infirmary for minor injuries.

Neither of the lorry drivers are believed to have been hurt.

Identification of the victims has not yet taken place and police are making inquiries to identify next of kin.

A 74-year-old man, from Lincolnshire, was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and was released on police bail to allow officers to conduct further inquiries.

Police closed the M1 between junctions 24 and 25 for seven hours in order to conduct an investigation into the fatal crash.

The Highways Agency had diversions in place along the A52, A6 and A5111 until the road reopened at 9.30pm.

At its peak, traffic control crews said the closure caused rush-hour tailbacks stretching back to junction 26 near Nuthall, in Nottinghamshire – six miles north of junction 25.

However, traffic on the northbound carriageway was not affected by the crash.

All lanes were reopened this morning.

A spokeswoman for Leicestershire Police appealed to anyone driving on the M1 yesterday who witnessed the collision, or the events leading up to it, to call Leicestershire Constabulary's Serious Collision Investigation Unit on 0116 222 2222.