Police are appealling for witnesses after a man died on the M11 during yesterday's rush hour. 

A man in his 60s, from Sible Hedingham, died after his van struck the central reservation barrier before it left the road and collided with a tree. 

The police are treating the death as suspicious because a piece of concrete was found to have struck his windscreen.

Officers were called at 4.50pm on Wednesday to the northbound carriageway near Birchanger between junctions 7 and 8.

Detective Chief Inspector Martin Pasmore, of the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate, said: “Telling a family they have lost a loved one is always extremely difficult and my thoughts are very much with the gentleman’s family at this very distressing time.

“Having carried out forensic examinations at the scene, we are treating his death as suspicious because a piece of concrete - around the size of a house brick - was found to have struck the windscreen. 

“We believe this caused the driver to lose control of the van and leave the road shortly after passing the Goose Lane bridge.

“As part of our enquiries, we closed the bridge at Goose Lane and the one about a mile and a half before it to carry out forensic examination work.

“We are keeping an open mind as to how the concrete came to strike the windscreen and there may be a number of explanations as to how it ended up inside the van.

"Our enquiries will be far reaching and at this stage it is too early to say what the cause was.

“We are determined to find out what happened and so it is vital that we speak to anyone who was travelling on the M11 in the Birchanger area, either north or southbound, between 4pm and 6pm.

“I am particularly keen to speak to anyone with dash cam footage as they may have filmed something they hadn’t noticed, but which might help us with our enquiries.”

Contact the Major Investigation Room at Harlow on 01279621802 or email scdappeals.essex@essex.pnn.police.uk