Lorry spills washing machines load

One of Shropshire's busiest roads was blocked after a lorry overturned spilling washing machines across the carriageway.

The lorry, laden with 15 tonnes of washing machines overturned at the junction of the A41 and A49, close to the Mid Way Truck Stop at Prees Heath, near Whitchurch.

The crash happened at about 7.15pm yesterday.

The lorry driver was unhurt, but washing machines and diesel spilled out onto the road.

Police said the road was closed at 11pm for the vehicle to be removed, finally reopening at 4.30am today.

The vehicle had come to rest against a lamp post, and utility company engineers were called out to make sure it was safe.

Police attended the scene to close the road, and fire crews from Whitchurch and Prees were also called to help clear debris.

Ambulance crews checked over the lorry driver, but he did not require hospital treatment.

Sub-officer Mike Beach, from Whitchurch fire station, said some of the washing machines had fallen out of the lorry's trailer, and would have been badly damaged in the crash.

Another two drivers escaped uninjured this morning after a collision between a lorry and a van on the M54.

The smash happened on the westbound carriageway of the motorway between Junction 2 at Featherstone and Junction 3 at Tong at about 5.30am. A paramedic attended the scene but no-one was injured.

And two people were injured when two vans crashed at about 5pm yesterday on the A41 at Chetwynd Aston, near Newport.