A 17-year-old boy has been charged after a "potentially hazardous" material was thrown off a bridge, sparking an 11-hour full closure of the M3 last week, police said.

The teenager, from Winchester, is accused of two counts of arson with intent to endanger life and two of causing danger to road users in relation to incidents on the motorway on September 16 and 23, according to Hampshire Police.

The M3 motorway - the main road between London and Southampton - was closed between junctions 9 and 11 from just before 4am until after 3pm on September 23.

The boy has been remanded in custody and is due to appear at Basingstoke Magistrates' Court on Monday.

Bomb disposal experts were called to the scene but police later said the substance was flammable, not explosive.

There was a similar incident on the same bridge on September 16.

On that occasion, police received reports of something being dropped on to the carriageway and that an object was alight, but when officers attended they found only broken glass and no fire.