A man was airlifted to hospital today following a three-car collision in Shropshire which caused rush-hour chaos.

Part of the A5 was closed following the accident which happened near the Queens Head junction, near Oswestry, just after 7.30am today, causing tailbacks and commuter misery.

Firefighters had to use cutting equipment to free the 41-year-old driver of one of the cars who was trapped after the crash.

The man, who suffered serious arm injuries and was complaining of chest pain, was airlifted to hospital for further assessment and treatment

A second person, who was driving one of the other cars, was taken to the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital with minor injuries. The driver of the third car was uninjured.

The incident left two cars on either side of the steep embankments of the carriageway and another badly damaged in the centre of the road.

Hundreds of drivers were delayed as the road closed and diversions set up along the old A5 through the villages of West Felton, Whittington and Queens Head.

Queues quickly built up in both directions as lorries and larger vehicles tried to negotiate round parked cars outside houses and the post office in West Felton.

Two fire engines attended from Oswestry and an incident commander and rescue tender from Wellington were also called out.

Claire Thomas, a West Midlands Ambulance Service spokeswoman, said: “The driver of one car, a 41- year-old man, was trapped in the vehicle. Crews quickly assessed the man and found he had suffered serious injuries to both arms and had chest pain.

“Crews and the medic worked with the fire service to carefully extricate the man from the car by removing the roof whilst he continued to receive emergency treatment for his injuries.

“The man was given pain relief, immobilised with a neck collar and spinal board and his condition was stabilised on scene before he was airlifted to University Hospital North Staffordshire for further assessment and treatment.

“The driver of the second car, a man believed to be in his 30s, was out of the vehicle . . . when crews arrived.

“Crews assessed him and found he had relatively minor injuries.”

By Chrissy Symmons