MOTORISTS faced long delays in rush-hour this afternoon following a three-vehicle crash near Wimborne.

Emergency services were called to the stretch of A31 between the Canford Bottom Roundabout and Merley at around 4pm following reports that three cars had been involved in a collision.

Two fire crews attended to help paramedics reach an occupant of one of the vehicles.

A Dorset Fire and Rescue spokesman said: “At 4.25pm we were alerted by the ambulance service to a three-car road traffic accident with one person medically trapped.

“Crews from Ferndown and Wimborne attended and stabilised the vehicle before removing its roof to free the casualty.”

Dorset Police closed one lane whilst the firefighters worked and officers directed traffic around the incident.

Long queues resulted, with delays of more than 30 minutes forming in both directions. 

Traffic began to return to normal by around 7pm.

Police have as yet been unable to confirm the extent of any injuries sustained.