Essex police were today preparing to reopen the A12 southbound at Colchester after yesterday's fire on a van carrying oxyacetelyne cylinders.The road was closed mid-morning yesterday, and the main rail line between East Anglia was also shut as a 200-metre exclusion zone was imposed.

Essex police were today preparing to reopen the A12 southbound at Colchester after yesterday's fire on a van carrying oxyacetelyne cylinders.

The road was closed mid-morning yesterday, and the main rail line between East Anglia was also shut as a 200-metre exclusion zone was imposed.

The rail line and the northbound carriageway were re-opened last night.