Two people were taken to hospital following a crash today in which a tanker carrying more than 2,000 gallons of fuel overturned on the outskirts of Bridgnorth.

The crash between the tanker and a car in Bromley Lane at about 7.45am sparked a major alert and the road was sealed off in both directions as about 30 firefighters, together with police and an ambulance crew, were drafted in to deal with the incident.

West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman Murray McGregor said: “We sent one ambulance to the scene and took two patients to the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford.

“One of the patients had to be secured on a spinal board and in a neck brace. The other was suffering whiplash injuries.”

Fire crews from Albrighton, Much Wenlock, Tweedale and Bridgnorth blanketed the tanker in foam as a safety measure.

West Mercia Police spokesman Richard Ewels said the tanker was carrying 1,980 gallons of kerosene and 220 gallons of paraffin but there was no significant leak as a result of the crash.

He said the tanker appeared to have been in collision with a car and both drivers were taken to hospital.

Mr Ewels said the Environment Agency was informed of the incident and the tanker’s owners were sending staff to assess the damage and oversee the transfer of the fuel to a replacement vehicle.

He added: “The conditions underfoot were treacherous because it was really icy.”

Mr Ewels said the company’s replacement tanker had to come from Staffordshire.

“That will be a tricky and lengthy operation which means the road could be closed for some time,” he added. “The main A442 remains open, however.

“It seems that the tanker was involved in some kind of collision with a car and both the tanker and car drivers were taken to the Princess Royal.”

Mr Ewels said the two men were taken to hospital more as a precaution than anything else because they were not believed to have been seriously hurt.

He added: “This is an ideal opportunity for West Mercia Police to remind all motorists that, although main roads have been gritted, there are still patches of black ice and side roads particularly remain dangerous and are likely to be for some days.”