A THREE-VEHICLE crash on the westbound M62 near the M606 Bradford junction caused misery for thousands of rush-hour travellers on one of the busiest nights of the year tonight.

The accident involving a white Luton-style box van, a blue Ford Focus and a white VW Scirocco took place just after 5pm approximately half a mile east of Junction 26.

Two lanes of westbound traffic were closed for over two hours as fire crews cut free the driver of the Scirocco, a man in his 30s who suffered neck injuries in the collision on the busy section of motorway.

He was taken to Leeds General Infirmary for treatment.

A West Yorkshire Police spokesman said no other injuries had been reported and the motorway had been re-opened as soon as the carriageway was clear.

However with an estimated 20 million drivers taking to British roads yesterday afternoon at what was for many the start of the Christmas break, long tailbacks towards Leeds had developed swiftly.

At the height of the disruption drivers suffered 30-minute delays to get past the M606 junction.