A lorry driver had to be cut from his cab after it overturned in a multiple smash which brought morning chaos to the M6 near Stafford today.

Two lorries and four cars were involved in the pile-up, just yards short of junction 14 of the motorway.

The accident happened at about 6am and blocked all three lanes of the southbound carriageway for several hours.

Police, ambulances and fire crews from Stafford, Newcastle and Longton attended the scene.

Crew commander Darren Turner, from Stafford Fire Station said it was “chaos” when they arrived on scene. “All the lanes were closed because of the debris,” he said. His crew cut one man out of the lorry and he was taken to the Staffordshire General Hospital with leg and head injuries.

A spokesman for the Central Motorway Police said his injuries were not life threatening. Two lanes southbound were expected to be re-opened by 10am but in the meantime the closure had a knock-on effect on Stafford’s roads. Vehicles leaving the motorway at junction 15 to avoid the crash caused congestion on the A34.