Two crashes within about an hour-and-a-half of each other kept firefighters busy during the early part of their shift yesterday evening.

A crew from Rochester fire station were first called out to a two vehicles smash in Pattens Lane, Rochester, at the junction with Radleigh Gardens.

A young female motorist had to be cut out of her white car after a side-on collision with another vehicle shortly after 6.30pm.

It is understood the woman driver suffered a cut to her head but otherwise had not suffered any serious injuries.

The crew used their hydraulic cutting equipment to take the driver’s door of the car to help aid her removal from the smashed up vehicle.

She and the other driver, also a woman, were both taken to hospital by paramedics to be checked over.

A spokesman for Kent Fire and Rescue Service said: “It was a side impact collision and we removed the door and its post to aid getting the driver out of the car and then made the scene safe and left the area at about 7.15pm.”

Within about 15 minutes of getting back to the station, in Marconi Way, they were called out again to the M2 after a three vehicle smash near to the Gillingham turn-off on the coastbound carriageway.

It is understood two cars and a van crashed into each other and one car and the van ended up on the embankment of the motorway.

The spokesman added: “The van actually ended up on its side but all the occupants had got out of their vehicles without any assistance and were not seriously injured.”

The smash caused some delays for other motorists for a period of time.