Three people are in a critical condition following an early morning crash on the M20.

A woman was airlifted to hospital following a five-car pile up between junctions 8 and 9 on the coastbound stretch at 4.45am.

She sustained serious injuries and was taken to King's College Hospital, two men were also taken to the hospital by road.

Two other men, one in his 60s and the other in his 40s, were taken to William Harvey Hospital with serious injuries.

Officers from the Serious Collision Investigation Unit are now appealing for witnesses to a collision.

Five vehicles were involved, an Audi TT, two articulated lorries, a Vauxhall Vivaro and a Fiat Ducato.

Sgt Glyn Walker said: "We would appeal to anyone who has not yet spoken to officers to get in touch. In particular we know many people now have cameras in their cars so if you happened to drive past and film the collision please get in touch."

The stretch of motorway between junction 8 for Leeds and 9 for Ashford is now open, ten hours after the crash.

Several people were reportedly trapped in one of the vehicles and around 20 firefighters have been involved in a rescue operation.

It is the second morning in a row the motorway has been closed. It was shut coast-bound for several hours yesterday following an accident in which a suspected migrant died.

At one point the London-bound carriageway was also closed while the air ambulance landed but the route is also now open.

Five fire engines and the service's technical rescue team were called to the site, alongside five ambulances, paramedic cars and the service's hazardous area response team, the air ambulance and police.

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