RUSH-HOUR traffic was brought to a grinding halt after a three-vehicle pile-up on the A2.

A collision between a tipper truck, HGV and a 4x4 on the coastbound carriageway at the Cobham junction, near Gravesend, at around 3pm on Thursday saw traffic tailing back to the Bluewater junction by 5pm.

The trapped lorry driver was freed by Thames-side fire crews and taken to Darent Valley Hospital with suspected neck injuries.

No-one else was injured.