A crash this morning involving two lorries caused commuter chaos on the M25 and A2 well into the evening.

The Dartford Tunnel finally reopened just before 3.30pm - more than three-and-a-half hours after specialist recovery vehicles had to be brought in to remove the HGVs.

Officials said the recovery operation was delayed because the specialists vehicles got stuck in long tailbacks.

At one stage traffic was queuing anticlockwise from J1A of the A206 Bob Dunn Way in Swanscombe to J31 near Lakeside, Essex, as a result of the accident, which happened shortly after 11am.

Journey times on the M25 are said to be an hour longer than usual, with more than seven-and-a-half miles of congestion.

It also had a knock-on effect on local roads in Dartford and on the A2.

Spokesman for Highways England, Howard Rhoades, confirmed the successful recovery of the two vehicles which collided earlier today.

He said: "The East bore of the Dartford crossing is now open for traffic.

"Traffic will eventually disperse using both tunnels which are now fully open."

Read more: All the latest news from Dartford

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