THOUSANDS of commuters were stuck in their vehicles when a crash brought Worcester traffic to a standstill during last night's rush hour.

Most of the city was affected on one of the busiest shopping days of the year as queues formed fafter a two-vehicle head-on collision along Worcester's southern by-pass.

Some motorists were stuck in queues for up to two hours and many were forced to make substantial detours to their journeys to avoid being caught in the chaos.

Gridlock followed the accident which happened on the A4440 Temeside Way at around 4.15pm yesterday.

The collision, which involved a Volkswagen Golf car and a white Mercedes-Benz van, happened near to the Powick roundabout.

Alec Mackie, spokesman for Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service, said two crews from Worcester fire station had to use heavy duty cutting equipment to free the female driver of the car.

"They removed the driver side door, the passenger door and roof of the Golf to get the lady out on a spine board," he said.

The woman and another person were taken to Worcestershire Royal Hospital by ambulance.

Police officers had to close off the road between the Powick and The Ketch roundabouts to prevent cars from using the road.

Some vehicles heading towards the scene were able to manoeuvre out of their lanes and into the clear lanes heading in the opposite direction.

However, the heavy goods vehicles, because of their size, had to wait for the vehicles involved in the accident to be recovered. The road was eventually re-opened at 6.45pm.

One motorist said his journey from Worcestershire Royal Hospital to his house off London Road, took around 45 minutes.

"I was first stuck on the A44 Whittington Road then took a detour through Tolladine," he said.

"In the end I left my car at the Oak Apple Inn, in Spetchley Road and walked home."