A driver escaped relatively unscathed when his car flipped and landed on its roof after a crash on the motorway in Staffordshire.

The Ford Ka somersaulted on the northbound carriageway of the M6, smashing the windscreen and crushing part of the roof.

The accident happened at 10.52am on Saturday, holding up many football fans travelling north to matches.

The scene of the smash, between Junctions 12 and 13 at Penkridge, was closed for almost two hours while emergency services worked at the scene.

Police opened up one lane of the carriageway after a short while to allow some traffic to filter through.

Queues tailed back for more than seven miles back to Junction 10a.

The drivers from both cars were taken to Stafford Hospital with neck injuries but neither was believed to be seriously hurt. Motorist Lindsey Doyle, aged 32, of Cannock, who was travelling to Stafford for shopping was delayed for more than 40 minutes.

She said: “I managed to get off the motorway to continue my journey and saw all the carnage from the second accident on my way back home on the southbound side.”

The collision was cleared by around 12.45pm.

Any witnesses are asked to call the Central Motorway Police Group on 021 626 1285 and ask for Sgt 0234 YK Williams.

Motorists later faced further problems on the M6 when two cars collided north of Stafford.

One man died and three people were injured in the crash on the northbound carriageway between junctions 14 and 15 at about 1.30pm on Saturday.