An appeal for witnesses has been launched by police after a serious crash left two men trapped inside a van.

The A259 on Romney Marsh was closed for seven hours while the wreckage of their Ford Transit was recovered after a crash with a German lorry.

The van driver, a 50-year-old man from Hastings, was first taken to hospital in Ashford but was later transferred to King's College Hospital in London.

Police are now looking to track down anyone who might have seen the vehicles in the lead up to the crash at East Guldeford near Rye at 4.45pm yesterday.

The lorry, which was carrying kitchen goods, was travelling east towards the Channel ports while the van was going in the opposite direction.

Both men in the van were cut out of the van by firefighters from East Sussex Fire and Rescue.

They were treated at the scene by paramedics and air ambulance doctors assisted after the helicopter landed nearby.

"One was assessed and treated for head and chest injuries, the other patient a man had suffered leg injuries." Ambulance service

The lorry driver was left unhurt by the crash.

The road was closed in both directions until around midnight with traffic diverted via Lydd and Camber.

The passenger in the van, a 40-year-old man from St Leonards-on-Sea, remains at the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford.

A spokesman for South East Coast Ambulance said: "SECAmb dispatched two cars and two ambulance crews to the scene.

"Two people were trapped in the car and had to be extricated by fire services.

"One was assessed and treated for head and chest injuries, the other patient a man had suffered leg injuries."

Fire crews from East Sussex Fire and Rescue based at Rye and Broad Oak were joined by specialist teams from Battle and Lewes.

A statement from ESFR said: "Two people were trapped in the van. Crews released them and they were left in the care of medics."

A spokesman for Sussex Police added: "Anyone who saw what happened or noticed either vehicle being driven shortly before the crash is asked to contact Sussex police.

"They can do so by emailing collision.appeal@sussex.pnn.police.uk or phoning 101, quoting Operation Bartley."