Fog, not smoke from a firework show, is believed to be responsible for the ­horror M5 smash in November within which seven individuals died.

That’s the findings of a painstaking probe by scientists who recreated the conditions on the night of the crash in an aircraft hangar.

They believe a driver braking suddenly as he or she hit a dense bank of fog is that the possibly reason for the 35-vehicle pile-up.

Meteorologists, pyrotechnic consultants and crash scene ­investigators worked on the scaled-down ­reconstruction. Fog was created over water doubling up because the River Frome by the M5 and smoke generated to represent the firework show at nearby Taunton Rugby Club.

The team discovered that a south- easterly wind blowing on November four would have blown the smoke from the show aloof from the crash web site – clearing the fireworks show organisers of any blame.

Immediately once the crash, Avon and Somerset Assistant Chief ­Constable Anthony Bangham, claimed it absolutely was a criminal investigation. The finger of suspicion was pointed at the rugby club and Geoff Counsell, boss of Firestorm Pyrotechnics, whose event had finished minutes before the crash.

Lawyers representing the club and Mr Counsell are still considering whether or not to require legal action or build a politician grievance against him.

A supply near the probe said: “It’s been an incredibly, advanced inquiry. And it’s still laborious to be completely categoric regarding what happened.”

Instead, the most thrust of the inquiry has checked out the ­possibility that a driver, presumably joining the motorway at junction twenty five, was the catalyst for the crash.

A lorry at the front of the pile-up owned by J.B.Wheaton and Sons of Chard, Somerset, had harm to the front offside bumper, in keeping with some kind of minor collision. An Iceland truck straddled the center and outdoors lanes and a TNT lorry jack-knifed.

More and a lot of vehicles ploughed into the wreckage, some bursting into flames. Terry Brice, Kye Thomas, Michael and Maggie Barton, Anthony and Pamela Adams and Malcolm Beacham all died.

Police can pass their file on the crash to the Crown Prosecution Service within the next fortnight and a final ­decision on whether or not there’ll be any charges is ­likely by the tip of could.

Coroner Michael Rose opened the inquest into the deaths in November last year however victims’ families are told a full hearing can be heard by September, therefore a criminal case is unlikely.

Avon and ­Somerset Police said: “All contributory factors are being investigated to spot what will be done to forestall similar incidents within the future. At this stage it’s troublesome to mention when the findings are created public.”