Seven people including two children were hurt in a series of crashes around the region.

Six were taken to hospital following two crashes on the same stretch of the M6 in Birmingham.

An ambulance was first called to a two-car crash on the northbound carriageway between junctions 5 and 6 at Castle Bromwich at 7.40pm yesterday. A second crash was discovered in the queue of traffic 100 yards behind.

A woman in her 40s suffered a fractured finger and chest pain. A second woman, in her 60s, also suffered chest pain. Both were taken to City Hospital. Two boys, believed to be three and five, suffered minor injuries and were taken to Birmingham Children’s Hospital.

A man and a woman from a second car were taken to Heartlands Hospital.

A 24-year-old woman was airlifted to Selly Oak Hospital after being knocked down by a van in Kingswinford. She suffered head and leg injuries in Bromley Lane at 11.30am yesterday.