Bridge's 15-hour closure sparked fear over bulls

A woman was taken to hospital with minor injuries after the collision

A couple feared bulls they were transporting over the Dartford Crossing would flip their trailer after the route was shut for 15 hours.

Motorists faced major delays when the QE2 bridge, which links Essex and Kent, was shut after a collision at 11:05 BST on Thursday.

Among them was Ann Atkins, who said the bulls she was taking to the Kent County Show were rocking her vehicle "side to side".

Ch Insp Stuart Austin from Essex Police said the impact of the closure had been huge for thousands of people.

The bridge reopened at 02:00 on Friday after work to repair its barriers and road surface.

Mrs Atkins said her animals, Viscount and Unwin, were getting "very fidgety" during her four-hour journey to Maidstone.

"I was worried they would actually topple the trailer over," she added.

Colin Atkins was alongside his wife for the nervy journey to the Kent County Show

A woman suffered minor injuries in the collision, which involved a lorry and a car.

"The lorry hit the backside of the car, spinning it around the front of its cab, while the lorry spun into the barrier," explained eyewitness Steve Lowe, 67.

"I was expecting the wagon to come round and hit me; it shook me up and the woman was very shaken up too."

National Highways allowed traffic crossing into Kent to use the tunnel, usually reserved for northbound drivers, to get under the Thames in the aftermath.

But the delays were widespread, with eight-mile (12.8km) queues building up on the M25 clockwise.

Huge queues built up near Lakeside shopping centre in West Thurrock

It took Carol Moring 13 and a half hours to drive from Lakeside shopping centre to her home on Mersea Island.

She said she saw fights and ambulances becoming stranded during her wait.

"It was very frustrating, very worrying as there was just no support for people," the 62-year-old said.

Laura Cromwell from Bromley in south-east London said her husband Lee was stuck in the gridlock for 11 hours.

"He couldn't eat, he couldn't drink, he couldn't go to the toilet," she said.

Mr Cromwell got home at 02:00 and had to wake back up for work four hours later.

The Dartford Crossing is the only way to cross the Thames east of London by road

Police, ambulance and fire services all attended the bridge after the collision, which led to fuel spilling over its surface.

Michael Colston, 59, said it was "torturous" for many drivers who may have missed flights or appointments.

It took him five and a half hours to drive from Romford to Broadstairs - four hours longer than the journey's usual length.

"I bet there were so many people feeling absolutely horrid in their cars," he added.

Police received a large number of calls from people having "a very difficult day" while travelling with children and animals.

Ch Insp Austin said: "I know that it hasn't been easy, or comfortable, and I'd like to thank everyone for their patience while these essential repairs are completed.

"We're fully aware of the challenges this has created for them, as it has for our officers responding to emergencies in the south of the county."

A National Highways spokesman said "extensive damage" was caused to the bridge.

"We worked throughout the evening and monitored the conditions closely, reopening the crossing as soon as it was safe to do so," he added.