POLICE are appealing for information after a young man died and a woman was seriously injured following a collision on the M6.

Police were called at about 6.40pm on Wednesday, May 15 to reports of a collision between a Peugeot 207 car and a petrol tanker between junctions 27 (Shevington Moor) and 28 (Bamber Bridge) northbound.

Emergency services attended with the driver of the Peugeot, a 21-year-old man from Blackburn, found with a number of serious injuries. Sadly he was pronounced dead at the scene.

A 21-year-old woman from Blackburn, a passenger in the Peugeot, suffered a serious head injury and was taken to Royal Preston Hospital for treatment.

The driver of the tanker, a 58-year-old man from Ellesmere Port, was not injured.

The motorway was closed for four hours while accident investigators attended the scene.

The force is now working extremely hard to piece together what occurred and would like to speak to anybody who witnessed the collision and has not yet been spoken to by police.

Sgt Claire Pearson, of Lancashire Police Tactical Operations Unit, said: “First and foremost our thoughts are very much with the family of the man who died, and with the woman who is currently in a very serious condition in hospital.

“We are now working extremely hard to work out what caused this collision and we would urge anybody who saw all or part of the incident to get in touch as soon as possible.”

Anybody with information is asked to get in touch on 101, quoting log number 1448 of May 15.