COMMUTERS faced delays this morning after three lorries collided with each other, blocking off a section of the M42 in Worcestershire.

All three emergency services were called to the scene of the crash between Junction 1 at Bromsgrove and Junction 2 at Alvechurch, at around 3am this morning.

Two of the lorry drivers were described as "walking wounded" and were taken to the Alexandra Hospital, in Redditch, suffering minor injuries.

The third lorry driver escaped uninjured.

Police officers closed the section of the motorway and it was not expected to re-open until later this morning in order for fire crews to clean up a diesel spillage from one of the crashed lorries.

In a separate incident, a driver escaped with minor injuries after his car careered into the central reservation of the M5 knocking down a lamp-post on to the opposite carriageway.

Tailbacks

All three emergency services were called to the scene of the accident on the southbound carriageway of the M5 at Junction 6, near Worcester, at around 12.30pm yesterday.

The incident prompted tailbacks and traffic chaos after police closed the southbound carriageway between Junctions 5 and 6.

Two lanes of the northbound carriageway between the same junctions also had to be closed so that emergency services could clear away the fallen lamp-post.

The driver of the car, which had been travelling along the southbound carriageway, was taken to Worcestershire Royal Hospital by ambulance. He was said to be suffering a suspected broken ankle.

The section of the motorway was re-opened at around 2.30pm.

Anyone who witnessed the incident is asked to call the West Midlands Police Motorway Unit on 0121 322 6025.