A police officer is in hospital after a high speed crash on the M6 which caused long delays on the motorway network.

The crash happened as officers were pursuing a van heading northbound early this morning.

The van had been followed from Solihull after reports it was carrying items including alcohol and underwear stolen from a lorry. The speeding vehicle ploughed into the motorway barrier and crashed into two police cars.

The smash happened between Junctions 8 and 9 near Wednesbury, where the M5 merges with the M6.

Read the full story in the Express & StarA police officer is in hospital after a high speed crash on the M6 which caused long delays on the motorway network.

The crash happened as officers were pursuing a van heading northbound early this morning.

The van had been followed from Solihull after reports it was carrying items including alcohol and underwear stolen from a lorry. The speeding vehicle ploughed into the motorway barrier and crashed into two police cars.

The smash happened between Junctions 8 and 9 near Wednesbury, where the M5 merges with the M6.Traffic travelling northbound on the M6 was backed up for several miles as police shut off the inside lane. It reopened at 8am. There were knock-on delays on the M5.

The pursuit began when police were called to Marsh Lane in Solihull just after 5.20am following reports that a lorry was being broken into and the contents were being loaded into a van.

Two men, both aged 20, were arrested for theft from a motor vehicle and remain in police custody.

l Another crash involving a police car caused long tailbacks in Wolverhampton city centre. The patrol car hit a silver Rover in Stafford Street at 7.10am. The male driver of the Rover was taken to New Cross Hospital with minor injuries.