A12: Four lorries jackknife in eight-vehicle crash

Part of the A12 in Essex has been blocked after multiple vehicles crashed

Four lorries have jackknifed in an eight-vehicle crash, causing major delays on a main road through Essex.

The A12 is blocked northbound between junction 24 for Kelvedon and junction 25 for Marks Tey.

Essex Police said its officers would implement a closure at junction 23 to alleviate congestion, adding that injuries to people were minor.

The road is likely to remain shut until the early hours of the morning, the force added.

The crash happened at about 16:20 BST and motorists have been advised to avoid the area.

Adam Pipe, head of roads policing at Essex Police, said "thankfully it doesn't look to be a serious collision in regard to casualties".

He said recovery was "going to take a significant amount of time" and officers would be helping drivers stuck in queues to turn around.

Much of the carriageway has been blocked with cars and lorries, requiring heavy equipment to remove them.

Essex fire crews have also been at the scene.Area manager Neil Fenwick said: "Thankfully nobody was trapped inside their vehicles and we're working as quickly as we can with our partners to get everybody moving safely."