A MOTORCYCLIST had to be airlifted from the M5 after a smash near Worcester.

The 39-year-old suffered head injuries and a fractured right shoulder when he was in collision with a red Peugeot 405 saloon on the northbound slip road at Junction 6, at Warndon Villages, yesterday afternoon.

A spokesman for the Air Ambulance service said he believed the car had suffered a blowout shortly before the crash at 3.10pm.

The motorcyclist was flown to Selly Oak Hospital in Birmingham and an elderly passenger in the car was taken by land ambulance to Worcester's Ronkswood Hospital after being cut free from the wreckage by firefighters who had to make their way to the crash site on foot because of traffic chaos.

"It took 10-15 minutes to release the man, who was badly shaken but not seriously hurt," said sub-officer Steve Laugher of Hereford & Worcester fire brigade.

"The traffic was horrendous because of the crash. We had to run half-a-mile to get to the scene."