Motorists faced long delays today when two concrete stairs fell off the back of a wagon on a busy Staffordshire road causing long delays.

The load was shed on the island where the A5 Watling Street meets the A38 London Road, near Shenstone, Lichfield, at 6.40am affecting the morning rush-hour.

Traffic on the roundabout was reduced to one lane, causing 20-minute tailbacks on the northbound A38 for motorists travelling from Birmingham.

Staffordshire Police spokesman Peter Bates said: “The lorry was carrying a load of prefabricated staircases, two of which fell off as the driver negotiated the bend.

“They fell on to the road blocking the outside lane. Fortunately it’s a three-lane roundabout so traffic was able to get round but it did lead to queues.”

Officers helped to direct traffic at the junction until the company involved arrived with cranes to remove the staircases nearly three hours later.

Meanwhile, a woman was cut from her car following a three-vehicle smash in Shareshill, South Staffordshire and 45 minutes later a man was airlifted to Birmingham’s Queen’s Hospital after he was thrown from his bike in a crash near Shifnal.

A black Alfa Romeo, purple Rover 100 and white Peugeot van were in collision at the junction of the A460 Cannock Road and Hilton Lane, Shareshill, at 3.15pm yesterday. At 4pm a motorbike and car crashed on the A4169, The Hem.

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