A woman is recovering in hospital after being cut from her car by firefighters after a pile-up.

Five vehicles were involved in the smash, which happened at the junction of Winstanley Road and Alma Road in Sheerness, at 10.45am on Tuesday.

According to police, a red Ford Fiesta and a van crashed and three other vehicles were involved in the aftermath.

Sheppey firefighters used hydraulic cutting equipment to remove the roof of the Fiesta to free the 49-year-old woman, who was trapped inside.

She was removed on a long-board and taken to Medway Maritime Hospital with suspected spinal injuries.

Both Winstanley and Alma Road were closed while the vehicles were cleared and firefighters made the scene safe.

A witness said: “The fire guys and paramedics were doing a very professional job.

“It did look very dramatic, although the damage to the car itself was not too bad.”

Sheppey crew manager Jim Ashby said although it was a standard rescue for them, it was traumatic for the woman who was trapped.

He added: “She was in quite a lot of lower back pain – paramedics were there before we turned up.

“We were able to cut the roof off in about 10 minutes.”

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