Several cars collided with the body at high speed on the M1 southbound between junction 21 and 20.

Leicestershire Police said the body was found underneath a motorway bridge.

There are no suspicious circumstances.

Angry motorists

The incident happened at 2000 BST on Thursday, but the motorway was not re-opened until just before 0600 BST on Friday.

It is the second time in recent weeks that a stretch of the M1 motorway in Leicestershire has been brought to a halt by police.

It was pitch black and everyone was sat there with no refreshments, no toilets or anything

Paul Bacon motorist

Many drivers were angry that the police took so long to reopen the road, but expressed their sympathy for the family of the woman who died.

Motorist Paul Bacon was not happy with the way police handled the incident: "They could have allowed some of the traffic to move down one or two of the lanes, it was not necessary to make people wait hours and hours.

"It was pitch black and everyone was sat there with no refreshments, no toilets or anything," he said.

Police inspector Graham Underwood said they could not open the motorway any earlier.

"Officers were clearing debris until 4am and were engaged in taking traffic from the back and turning it around, but that takes a lot of organisation and officers."