Traffic has eased off after a crash on the M25 anti-clockwise at J31 earlier this afternoon.

The accident clogged up roads around the Dartford Crossing as rush hour drivers face congestion stretching back to J5 of the M25 at its junction with the M26 and the A21.

All lanes have now reopened, but there were still huge delays going back to at least J2 for Bluewater until after 9pm.

It meant tailbacks hitting the High Street in Swanscombe earlier, with delays of over an hour throughout that area.

There were also problems around the Lowfield Street area of Dartford town centre and through to St Clements Way in Greenhithe.

That caused shoppers to be delayed for over four hours getting out of the Bluewater car parks.

Sue Bloggins was one of those caught up in the rush hour nightmare.

She tweeted that she had been trying to get out of the car park at Bluewater for over two hours.

Elliot Fernley tweeted at 6pm that her mum had left to "pop" to Bluewater four hours earlier, but was still stuck in traffic.

And someone called Ondo Lady said: "Anyone heading to Bluewater don't bother because you won't be able to get out. There has been an accident and traffic is at a standstill."

Buses were also delayed. Ensignbus tweeted that the 5.25pm service from Bluewater was being severely delayed by traffic congestion "and still cannot get out of Bluewater!"

At just before 6.30pm Lee Deighton said: "Four hours to get home from Bluewater! Normally takes 20 minutes! Lucky I'm such a patient bloke."

One disgruntled traveller, Stuart Sherry, said it took him the same time to get home from Bluewater tonight as it did to get back from Brussels yesterday, adding "poxy motorways!"